Books by Mark A. Weitz

Nally v. Grace Community Church of the Valley was America's first case to allege ""clergy malpractice,"" one that challenged the freedom of religious leaders to counsel their parishioners. The case is as much a story of modern America as it is an account of courtroom proceedings.

In the annals of Civil War history, one dispute remains unsettled: was the United States waging war against another nation or putting down an internal rebellion? In 1861 three legal battles put this question to the test. As Mark Weitz reveals, these proceedings were instrumental in debating and ultimately shaping the Confederacy's very identity.

Addresses the issues associated with Confederate desertion. This book examines the emotional and psychological reasons that might induce a soldier to desert. Just as loyalty to his fellow soldiers might influence a man to charge into a hail of lead, loyalty to his wife and family could also lead him to risk a firing squad in order to return home.

Coupled with problems such as speculation, food and clothing shortages, conscription, taxation, and a focus on the protection of local interests, desertion started as a military problem and spilled over into the civilian world. This book studies desertion in the Confederate army. It confronts a question: did desertion hurt the Confederacy?