This is a plea for auxilium:

I'm attempting to establish a methodology for ascertaining migration between 'England' and 'Wales' in the period c.900-c.1100. The purpose of this is to try and gauge possible cultural and legal transmissions. It appears, according to thirteenth-century legal texts (the Iorwerth and Colan), that the Welsh lawyers had developed a comprehensive approach to dealing with aliens within the 'realm'. As someone who has primarily studied the Welsh lay elite and their legal and political culture I am at something of a loss as to create a method from scratch. As with many non-documentary cultures the best records exist among the various abbeys (Strata Marcella and Morgan Gam in particular) but how representative these might be (even a cursory analysis reveals a tangible dissonance between their construction of contracts centred on land grants, they seem to have a far greater English or Continental influence at a very early stage) poses even greater issues.

Thus, any texts on colonial theory or studies tracing migration would be much appreciated!

Reading this week has been interesting as it's my first week of grad school. (Hooray!) The biggest change is that reading feels more purposeful. When I crack open a history book it's no longer just my pleasure reading I can dip into at my leisure, maybe letting my eyes go a little unfocused, day-dream about being friends with Montaine or whatever. No. Reading is now my job. I have to take notes. And think about research papers. And orals. (!)

In one of the last books I read before starting grad school, I finished Dick Irvin's Behind the Bench.

Its not a historical book per se, and Irvin is certainly not a historian by any means; he is a (former) hockey broadcaster and the book, written in 1993, is the result of a series of interviews he had the previous year with then-current and former NHL coaches. It details their rise into the coaching ranks, how (nearly) all of them had been fired at one point, and what they think about life as a coach. Its an invaluable resource for something like this, as there is hardly any details on the life of an NHL coach, and I think an updated version would be quite popular.

I'm (still) looking for a book focused on the history of the holy roman empire. Do you have any suggestions?

And maybe something on Poland, Persia or France?

Finally started to read properly S. Shoemaker's Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad's Life and the Beginnings of Islam after regaining access to the university e-library (I'm considered a student again! Woohoo!). It is pretty much Hagarism Strikes Back, so I'm in love with the book already. Controversial thesis that is backed up by evidence and solid research? Yes please!

I’m interested in researching a topic relating to the history of medicine. Preferably, I would like to focus on the 19th/20th century and get a better understanding of the development of modern medicine in the West. Is there a particular event or invention or turning point of some kind that I can read up on to narrow down my topic for a research paper? (Even if it falls out of my specifications, post it anyway!) Also feel free to post any medical history sources you think will be helpful.

What is a good book on Japanese Order of Battles in WWII?

Am also interested in the Expansion of Medieval Lithuania in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth centuries.