The Showman

January 8, 2024
Time magazine correspondent Shuster debuts with an up-close account of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s transformation from comedian and political satirist to steadfast wartime leader and world symbol of “fortitude.” Drawing on unprecedented access to Zelensky as well as interviews with the president’s friends, advisers, ministers, staff members, and wife Olena, Shuster tracks how the celebrity actor went from “naive charmer preparing to enter a world of cynics, oligarchs and thugs who took him for an easy mark” to “stubborn, confident, vengeful, impolitic” leader of a beleaguered nation. In addition to chronicling Zelensky’s successful bid for the presidency in 2019 and his first days in office, when he “showed a painful sensitivity to criticism,” Shuster describes how the former TV star, driven by “professional” instincts from the start of the Russian invasion, made highly publicized appearances—including at South Korea’s parliament, the World Bank, and the Grammy Awards—with the goal of winning over Western leaders and securing weapons. Soon “it turned into a political rite of passage” for European heads of state to travel to Kyiv and pose for a selfie with Zelensky. The president’s critics will note Shuster downplays accusations of his subject’s “high-handedness,” though he does discuss Zelensky’s crackdowns on the Ukrainian press. This is a crisp snapshot of a national leader under fire.