Zelensky
Canbury Press (Verlag)
978-1-914487-06-4 (ISBN)
Volodymyr Zelensky: From Comedian to President – The True Story of Courage, Leadership, and Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
Perfect for readers searching for a biography of Volodymyr Zelensky and a brief modern history of Ukraine and its troubled relationship with Russia, this powerful narrative follows Zelensky’s extraordinary journey from TV comedian to Ukrainian president and wartime leader.
Set against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it offers a gripping story of Kyiv under siege that takes you inside the presidential bunker, the streets of a defiant capital, and the emotional decisions of a leader facing one of the greatest crises in modern European politics.
Blending vivid storytelling with clear, accessible analysis, this book is both an inspirational story about Ukraine's president and an essential current guide to European geopolitics. It explores how Zelensky became a symbol of the democracy and freedom struggle, how Ukraine's resistance reshaped the world’s view of Eastern Europe, and why his leadership now stands alongside other world leaders in crisis.
If you’ve read powerful biographies of Vladimir Putin or broader books about Russia and Eastern Europe — this volume gives you the other side of the story: the man at the heart of Ukraine's war leadership and democracy.
Inside this book, you’ll discover:
How a popular entertainer became the Ukrainian president the world now watches.
The key moments that turned a reluctant politician into Ukraine's war leader.
A clear, engaging Ukraine conflict 2022 history that makes complex geopolitics easy to understand.
An inspiring true story of courage that shows what modern political leadership can look like under fire.
Whether you follow world affairs closely or are just beginning to explore the history of Ukraine today, this modern political leadership biography will inform, move, and inspire you.
Add this definitive Zelensky biography to your reading now and discover the remarkable story behind Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
About the authors
STEVEN DERIX is a journalist at the Dutch newspaper NRC. From 2014 to 2020, he was NRC correspondent for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
MARINA SHELKUNOVA studied journalism and was a researcher and coordinator for NRC and De Standaard.
Extract
In April 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was elected as the sixth President of Ukraine, with nearly three-quarters of the vote.
One month later, the Russian President attended the World Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. It had been five years since Russia’s annexation of Crimea but daily skirmishes between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists were still commonplace in eastern Ukraine.
‘Why did you not congratulate Volodymyr Zelenksy when he became President?’ asked the interviewer.
Putin breathed a heavy sigh. The Russian officials and business magnates in the room playfully nudged one another: this was going to be good...
Putin gave the enormous hall an almost pitying look and waited until the sniggering had died down... ‘Listen, I do not know this man. I hope that we can meet one day. As far as I can tell, he’s amazing at what he does, he’s a marvellous actor.'
Putin continued: 'But seriously: it's one thing to play a person, but quite another thing to be that person.'
Laughter and generous applause filled the room.
Buy the book and start reading
Steven Derix is a journalist at the prestigious Dutch newspaper nrc Handelsblad. Together with Dolf de Groot he wrote Blood Brothers: The Downfall of Team Rabobank, which uncovered Michael Boogerd’s doping fraud. From 2014 to 2020 he was nrc correspondent for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Marina Shelkunova studied journalism and was a researcher and coordinator for NRC Handelsblad and De Standaard.
Introduction. Russia's President Vladimir Putin shows his contempt for Ukraine's new president Volydymyr Zelensky, an actor turned politician who has swept to power after starring in a TV drama Servant of the People, where he plays a history teacher who dreams of becoming President of Ukraine
1. Al Pacino. Volodymyr Zelensky grows up in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, and starts to compete in KVN talent championships in Ukraine and Russia, following the fall of the Soviet Union, while also wooing his future wife Olena
2. Bad Neighbours. Charing the history of Ukraine from Viking settlements to the 21st Century, including the vexed relationship between Russia, the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, and Volydymyr Zelensky's progression through the Ukrainian and Russian TV industry via KVN shows
3. The Comedy Factory. Ukraine develops as an independent state, still under pressure from Russia, while Volydymyr Zelensky makes his name in Ukraine and Russia with his troupe and TV company Kvartal 95.
4. Maidan. Modern Ukraine erupts in protests amid the Orange Revolution against corrupt elections and government. Volydymyr Zelensky eventually finds his forte in political satire. Mentions Maidan Square, Yuriy Koryavchenkov, Vitali Klitschko, Rinat Akhmetov, Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Yushchenko
5. Servant of the People. Volydmyr Zelensky starts a TV show, Servant of the People, playing a teacher who dreams of becoming President and cleaning up Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia's 'little green men' troops occupy the Crimea peninsula. Mentions Vasyl Holoborodko and Yulia Tymoshenko’s Fatherland Party
6. The Turbo Regime. After winning the presidential election with a landslide, Volydymyr Zelensky starts reforming Ukraine, and immediately runs into trouble with US President Donald Trump. Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks to try to settle their differences over the Donbas and Crimea
7. Confrontation. Volodymyr Zelensky takes on Ukraine's powerful oligarchs and suspected judicial and political corruption. Mentions Ruslan Riaboshapka, Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine National Security and Defence Council, Viktor Medvedchuk, Taras Kozak, Olena Kondratiuk
8. The Wartime President. Russia invades Ukraine in 2022 and President Zelensky mounts a staunch defence of his country, successfully rallying Western support for his battle against overwhelming firepower. Mentions Zapad military exercise, Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022, FSB agents, Alexey Navalny
A Note on Sources. The authors have used some of Steven Derix's reporting for the Dutch newspaper NRC. Explains the use of sources and naming protocol, preferring Ukrainian spellings over Russian ones for Ukrainian names. So the book refers to Zelensky rather than Zelenskyi or Zelenskyy.
Bibliography. An extensive list of references for this biography of Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, including sources in Dutch, English, Russian, Ukrainian and Polish.
| Erscheinungsdatum | 06.03.2023 |
|---|---|
| Co-Autor | Marina Shelkunova |
| Zusatzinfo | 14 black and white halftones; 1 bibliography |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 129 x 198 mm |
| Gewicht | 280 g |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte |
| Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Geschichte / Politik | |
| Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte | |
| Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-914487-06-0 / 1914487060 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-914487-06-4 / 9781914487064 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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