{"product_id":"zelensky-a-biography-of-ukraines-war-leader-paperback","title":"Zelensky: A Biography of Ukraine's War Leader (Paperback)","description":"Zelensky is the first major biography of Ukraine's leader written for a Western audience. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Told with flair and authority, it is the gripping story of one of the most admired and inspirational leaders in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Action-packed biography of Ukraine's comedian-turned-President\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Millions who have admired Volodymyr Zelensky's defiance during Russia's invasion of Ukraine will learn much from this up-to-date biography of the Ukrainian President.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Zelensky's life to date has been packed with drama and action. \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e By the age of 20, the Jewish boy from the provincial town of Kryvyi Rih had become a star of the stage. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e At 30, he headed a multi million-dollar TV company. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e At 40, he took on Ukraine's corrupt political and business elite in a TV drama where he played a history teacher who becomes President.  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Then he launched a real-life political party named after the TV show, won a landslide victory and became Ukraine's real President. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e When Russian troops flooded across the border, Zelensky refused Western offers to leave Kyiv. He has marshalled Ukraine's resistance and successfully obtained Western missile systems and anti-tank weapons.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Zelensky said: 'If I am elected, they will first sling mud at me. Then they will learn to respect me. And finally cry when I leave.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Covering Zelensky's background and bustling TV career through to his first, controversial years in office to Russia's full-scale blitzkrieg, Zelensky is written by a long-standing Russia and Ukraine reporter and a Russian- and Ukrainian speaking researcher.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It's a pithy biography of Zelensky for anyone who wants to understand Ukraine's charismatic head of state, his complex country, and its vexed relationship with Russia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Covering Zelensky's life from his childhood to the Ukrainian presidency, Zelensky deals with: his background in a Russian-speaking region of Ukraine; his early career in TV taking part in KVN talent competitions; his rise through the Ukrainian and Russian television industry; and his breakthrough moment in the TV series Servant of the People playing a teacher, Vasyl Holoborodko, who dreams of reforming Ukraine and ending its corruption.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The show becomes a reality and Zelensky and his party, called Servant of the People, take power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Zelensky's presidency is dogged by controversy concerning his attempts to curry favour with the US President Donald Trump and the offshoring of tens of millions of dollars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Zelensky battles political rivals and takes on powerful vested interests in Europe's second-largest country - before fighting a superpower in a fight most assume Ukraine will quickly lose (but does not).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExtract\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In April 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was elected as the sixth President of Ukraine, with nearly three-quarters of the vote.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Why did you not congratulate Volodymyr Zelenksy when he became President?' asked the interviewer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Putin breathed a heavy sigh. The Russian officials and business magnates in the room playfully nudged one another: this was going to be good...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Putin continued: 'But seriously: it's one thing to play a person, but quite another thing to be that person.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Laughter and generous applause filled the room.","brand":"Canbury Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42646265528498,"sku":"9781914487064","price":260.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0562\/9191\/8002\/products\/387485_638e7ac0d16457.27227653_9781914487064.jpg?v=1670285506","url":"https:\/\/www.wordsworth.co.za\/products\/zelensky-a-biography-of-ukraines-war-leader-paperback","provider":"Wordsworth Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}