Simon Shuster: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Invasion That Shook the World - Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
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Simon Shuster: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Invasion That Shook the World

Simon Shuster was given unprecedented journalistic access to President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team, and comes to San Francisco to report about the president’s evolution from slapstick actor to symbol of resilience.

January 29, 2024

5:30—7:00 PM PT

Online or In Person at 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105

Commonwealth Club World Affairs

A comedic actor becomes president of a country on the brink of war. When a brutal invasion by Russia surprises the world, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky creates even more surprise—by quickly showing himself to be an inspiring wartime leader of his country as it fights off the much larger forces of Russia.

Time correspondent Simon Shuster was given unprecedented access to President Zelensky and his team, and comes to San Francisco to report about the president’s evolution from a slapstick actor to a symbol of resilience, revealing how he managed to rally the world’s democracies behind his cause. From Zelensky’s days in a nuclear bunker in the opening weeks of the invasion to his military’s crucial victories, Shuster offers an in-depth and up-close picture of the invasion as experienced by its number-one target and improbable hero.

Join us in person or online to hear about leadership, human fallibility and triumph, and an attempt to change the course of history.

Speaker:
Simon Shuster is a Reporter at Time and author of “The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World” and “Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky.”

Moderator:
Steven Boyd Saum is the Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Content at Saint Mary’s College.

Schedule:
Doors open: 5:00 PM PT
Program: 5:30—6:30 PM PT
Book signing (for in-person attendees): 6:30—7:00 PM PT