The Players Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made Volodymyr Zelensky a Leader

The first insider account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The renowned journalist Simon Schuster was granted a rare opportunity to get to know Volodymyr Zelensky, to tell the story of his life and his leadership of Ukraine during the war. From Zelensky’s dressing room before his comedy shows in Ukraine to the muddy trenches of the war against Russia, Schuster conducted dozens of interviews with him, his wife, friends, and adversaries, as well as his advisors, ministers, and military leaders. The book tells an intimate and compelling story of how the president transformed from a comedian into a symbol of resilience, and reveals how he rallied the world’s democracies behind his cause. The book’s opening chapters provide the first detailed account of Zelensky’s life in a nuclear bunker during the initial weeks of the invasion, and the circumstances surrounding his wife and children’s escape to safety. Later, as Russian forces withdrew from Kyiv, we see Zelensky and his team emerge from the bunker and lead Ukraine to a series of decisive victories. The result is a captivating and intimate portrait of the invasion as experienced by the nation’s leader and unlikely hero. Through a candid look at the president’s early failures in his pursuit of peace and his willingness to suppress political dissent, the book presents a complex portrait of a man struggling to break what he sees as a historical cycle of oppression that began generations before his birth. Even in the midst of war, Zelensky offers his vision for the country’s future and practically demonstrates his strategy for confronting the Russians and maintaining Western support. From an eyewitness perspective, “The Player” provides an important insight into the war that is shaping our era. As a study in leadership and human resilience, it is timeless and universal.