Description: How Russia Learned to Talk offers an entirely new perspective on Russian political culture, showing the era from Alexander II's Great Reforms to early Stalinism as a single 'stenographic age', with all of Russia's rulers, whether tsars or Bolsheviks, grappling with the challenges and opportunities of mass politics and modern communications.
Review Quotes: "This study significantly advances our understanding of late imperial Russian political history." -- Jonathan Daly, Slavonic and East European Review
"Stephen Lovell masterfully shows how the forms of public talk changed in the longue durée. Moreover, he manages to give short biographical sketches of dozens of protagonists of his story." -- Gábor T. Rittersporn, Rezensionen