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.
Also available as an audiobook.
Table of Contents
Abbreviations viiPreface: Zelensky's Political Oscar xi
1 Ten Assassination Attempts on President Zelensky 1
2 The Campaign for President 4
3 "Let It Be the Stadium Then!" 9
4 Zelensky and Forty-Two Million Presidents 13
5 Devirtualization of Servant of the People 17
6 A Mad Printer for the President 21
7 Trump's Impeachment 25
8 Vice-President Bohdan 29
9 The Cosmic Year of 1978 37
10 The Irreplaceable Yuliya Mendel 42
11 Look into the Eyes of Putin and … 46
12 The Amateur on an Electric Scooter 54
13 A Little Bell for Maslyakov 58
14 Godfather Rodnyansky 66
15 A Scandal in Jurmala 70
16 The Family of Kvartal 95 74
17 The Kadyrov Ordeal 79
18 Ebony Rods 83
19 Zelensky's Double 87
20 Zelensky's Ceremonial General 94
21 Zelensky's Shenr Brothers 99
22 Kolomoisky's Knife 104
23 Poroshenko on His Knees 112
24 The Zelensky Collective 124
25 Zelensky's Idol Syvokho 129
26 The Polygraph for "Servants of the People" 133
27 Who Turned Zelensky into an Addict? 137
28 Zelensky under Yermak 142
29 Zelensky's Dream Team 152
30 Zelensky's Architect 159
31 The Magic Number 95 166
32 He Who Burdened Zelensky with the Presidency 170
33 A Gagarin for Zelensky 175
34 A Black Mirror for a Hero 178
35 Zvirobiy, Fedyna, and a Victim 182
36 Wagnergate: A Story with Many Unknowns 186
37 How the Oligarch Akhmetov Prepared a Coup for Zelensky 190
38 The Bucha Massacre 193
Epilogue: The President of War 200
Chronology 203
