On 11 October 1931, notable Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, the well-regarded writer of Pygmalion and John Bull’s Other Island, broadcast his enthused support for Joseph Stalin across the airwaves. In the lecture, Shaw enthusiastically advised listeners of the wonderful opportunities available in the Soviet Union for those in possession of a particular character. His words, which fell upon the eager ears of thousands, were not only the result of a recent and convincing trip to the USSR, but the culmination of years of thought that would remain intact for decades. Throughout his life, Shaw held a number of controversial political views, having published several years prior in the London Daily News a letter entitled, “Bernard Shaw on Mussolini: A Defence”. Shaw found much to admire in Stalin, appreciating his success in both domestic and foreign affairs and considering him to be a “silent man of action” — the opposite of himself. In a letter written shortly after his broadcast, Shaw waved away the accusations of famine and mass murder in favour of highlighting his more, shall we say, commendable qualities.