Three years after the political novice Volodymyr Zelensky was elected to Ukraine's highest office, he found himself catapulted into the role of war-time leader. The former comedian has become the public face of his country's courageous and bloody struggle against a brutal invasion. Zelensky's extraordinary leadership in the face of Russia's aggression is an inspiration to everyone who stands opposed to the appalling violence unleashed on Ukraine.

This book - the first biography of Zelensky published in English - tells his astonishing story. It has been revised and updated for this new paperback edition.

About the Author

Serhii Rudenko is a Ukrainian journalist and political commentator who has published several books on Ukrainian politicians.

Reviews

Selected as one of The New Statesman's Best Books of 2023

"War is a rupture-in a country's life and a leader's. Amid the calamity, Ukrainians have proven lucky in theirs. As Mr Rudenko writes at the close, the man who was 'visibly nervous' in his early bouts of diplomacy, the ingenue and clown, now has an experience of statecraft that no modern Western leader can match, nor would wish to."
The Economist

"From voice of Paddington to global giant... the man behind the wartime facade"
The Observer

"The first English-language biography of Zelensky reveals what Ukrainians really think of him"
The Telegraph

"Serhii Rudenko's biography is a portrait of a wartime hero whose troubled past may return to haunt him... [It is] an extraordinary life story, which is still being written. Reading this biography now, in the wake of a war that upended our understanding of both Zelensky and Ukraine, presents his personal history in a new light."
Lyse Doucet, The New Statesman

"Fascinating"
The Guardian

"A fast-paced biography of an unexpected world leader... the author capably shows how Zelensky has displayed an astonishing transformation in the face of continued Russian aggression."
Kirkus

"Rudenko has written a succinct political biography that plunges readers right into the middle of the Ukrainian political scene"
Prospect Magazine

"... important and detailed...: Zelensky is easily the equal of the most impressive wartime leaders the West has ever had."
Owen Matthews, The Spectator

"deftly charts the transformation of a former comedian into a reforming president and then, swiftly, into a charismatic wartime leader and global figure."
The New Statesman

Book Information
ISBN 9781509556380
Author Serhii Rudenko
Format Hardback
Page Count 200
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 408g
Dimensions(mm) 218mm * 145mm * 23mm