Zelensky: A Biography

by Serhii Rudenko Narrated by Mike Lenz

Overview

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.



Born to Jewish parents in central Ukraine, Zelensky campaigned for the presidency in the 2019 election on the promise to restore trust in politics. After his landslide victory, he told jubilant supporters "I will never let you down." Little did he know that he would be called upon to serve his people in the most demanding circumstances imaginable, fighting for the very survival of his country in the worst war on European soil since 1945.



Zelensky's leadership in the face of Russia's aggression is an inspiration to everyone who stands opposed to the appalling violence being unleashed on Ukraine.



This book tells his astonishing story.

Editorial Reviews

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Mostly, Mike Lenz narrates in a low-key, evenhanded way. Still, he becomes excited as he describes the atmosphere surrounding Volodymyr Zelensky’s victory in the Ukrainian presidential election. Lenz drops a few hints of trouble ahead, though. And not just the war with Russia. Although the author, a Ukrainian journalist, praises Zelensky’s fight against the Russian invasion, he is often critical of the neophyte president’s actions, such as letting go of longtime associates who served in his early administration. The scandals seem to mount, but the author lauds Zelensky successes, such as his handling of a hostage crisis. Rudenko wrote from Kyiv as bombs were dropping, and his list of Russian atrocities hits its mark, even as Lenz keeps emotion minimal. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

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 ingénue 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 façade"
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

AudioFile

Mike Lenz narrates in a low-key, evenhanded way. Still, he becomes excited as he describes the atmosphere surrounding Volodymyr Zelensky's victory in the Ukrainian presidential election.

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Mostly, Mike Lenz narrates in a low-key, evenhanded way. Still, he becomes excited as he describes the atmosphere surrounding Volodymyr Zelensky’s victory in the Ukrainian presidential election. Lenz drops a few hints of trouble ahead, though. And not just the war with Russia. Although the author, a Ukrainian journalist, praises Zelensky’s fight against the Russian invasion, he is often critical of the neophyte president’s actions, such as letting go of longtime associates who served in his early administration. The scandals seem to mount, but the author lauds Zelensky successes, such as his handling of a hostage crisis. Rudenko wrote from Kyiv as bombs were dropping, and his list of Russian atrocities hits its mark, even as Lenz keeps emotion minimal. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2022-06-27
A fast-paced biography of an unexpected world leader.

In 38 short, zingy “episodes” that play on Zelensky’s TV career before winning the presidency of Ukraine in April 2019, Ukrainian journalist and political commentator Rudenko explores his subject’s life and important influences on the brash new leader, mostly before Russia’s invasion in February 2022. A popular actor prior to his candidacy—he was especially beloved for his role as history teacher Vasyl Horoborodko, who becomes head of state in the film and TV series Servant of the People—Zelensky was elected by a landslide largely due to his youthful charisma, promises to upend the corrupt, Soviet-style oligarchy of incumbent Petro Poroshenko, and desire “to become the president of peace.” Before his decision to join the campaign, the former comedian was not taken seriously. However, with help from his loyal backers at his TV production company, Kvartal 95 Studio, Zelensky proved to be an earnest, witty opponent who sounded themes of anti-corruption and pledges to find resolution in the Donbas war, concepts that resonated with the Ukrainian people. Although vowing not to get mired in the nepotism that plagued his predecessor, Zelensky surrounded himself with his trusted assistants from Kvartal 95 Studio, and as the author shows, during his rough first six months in office, he showed few signs of becoming a household name on the world stage for his bravery and dedication to his people. He had to navigate the entrenched bureaucracy of the prickly Ukrainian parliament, clean house, manage staff turnover, and survive extortion by then-President Donald Trump to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden. Though many of the people and events will be unfamiliar to non-Ukrainian readers, the author capably shows how Zelensky has displayed an astonishing transformation in the face of continued Russian aggression.

An admiring but not uncritical first look for English-language readers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175288446
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	08/09/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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