'Talking proper' : the rise of accent as social symbol (Updated 2nd ed)

Talking Proper is a history of the rise and fall of the English accent as a badge of cultural, social, and class identity.

Lynda Mugglestone traces the origins of the phenomenon in late eighteenth-century London, follows its history through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and charts its downfall during the era of New Labour.

This is a witty, readable account of a fascinating subject, liberally spiced with quotations from English speech and writing over the past 250 years.