Sergii Rudenko

“The origins of Russia’s war on Ukraine go back to the turn of the century and Vladimir Putin’s rise to power in Kremlin. This is the key argument of the book by Serhii Rudenko, who demonstrates the centrality of Ukraine for Putin’s pursuit of Russia’s “greatness”. Written by one of the leading Ukrainian journalists, the book tells a story that is little known in the West and is often lost in the day-to-day coverage of the war.“
SERHII PLOKHY (author of The Russo-Ukrainian War and Chernobyl Roulette)

"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… [the author] just gives us the stories behind his presidency."
Lyse Doucet, THE NEW STATESMAN

"The chapters about Zelensky and members of his presidential team at various points of his administration are especially strong and read as crackling litte political dramas. The chapter on Ihor Kolomisky, the oligarch to whom the president is reportedly tied (though at some points more than others, as the book makes clear), is especially biting."
WASHINGTON POST

"Ukrainian journalist Serhii Rudenko’s quirky and fascinating biography, describing how a man best known for playing a teacher who unexpectedly becomes head of state subsequently did something similar himself."
THE GUARDIAN

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

"Rudenko’s biography is generally positive, but it is a far more critical portrait than most in the West have encountered. However, the biography’s critical elements do not detract from Zelensky’s skill or leadership... In the end, “Zelensky: A Biography” isn’t a true biography. It is certainly not the definitive book on the president and will not be the last. Nonetheless, it presents a more nuanced and human portrait of Ukraine’s president and in so doing makes his leadership in the present war that much more impressive."
DIPLOMATIC COURIER