The Showman: Volodymyr Zelensky and the War in Ukraine

In their most candid accounts of the war so far, members of Zelensky’s inner circle show how the president’s character changed under the strains of leadership & the horrors he witnessed each day. His wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, describes her escape from Kyiv with their children, her life on the run, & the tensions that emerged in her marriage as she struggled to return to a meaningful role in the administration. Ukraine’s top military commander, General Valery Zaluzhny, shares the untold story of his fraught relationship with the president & the subsequent consequences.

Reflecting on their own regrets & critical decisions, Zelensky & his senior aides open up about the causes of the Russian invasion & how it may have been avoided. They describe with astonishing frankness how their peace talks with Vladimir Putin fell apart & how their faith in the U.S. faltered, both under Donald Trump & Joe Biden.

The Showman provides the first inside account of Zelensky’s life amid the invasion, offering a clear-eyed view of his failures to prepare for it and his willingness to silence dissent under martial law. What emerges is a complex picture of a man struggling to break what he sees as a historical cycle of oppression that began generations before he was born. Even as the war drags on, Zelensky lays out his vision for its future course &, through his actions, demonstrates his strategy for countering the Russians &amp