The Rosenberg File

"The Rosenbergs were executed in the early 1950s on the charge of spying for the Soviet Union, particularly for atomic espionage, and their case attracted worldwide attention at the time, both because they asserted their innocence and because here was this couple that nobody had ever heard of when they were arrested. Then they were convicted of this horrible crime and executed, leaving their two young kids as orphans. There were all kinds of appeals for clemency from European governments, from the Pope and demonstrations around the world, and the case has continued to fascinate scholars. What the authors do with this book is to provide the first thorough, scholarly and objective examination of the case. They had access to United States government records. They interviewed many people who were involved in the case and they really produced a marvellous book which demonstrated that Julius Rosenberg in fact was guilty and that he had run a very large and effective espionage operation for the Soviets. And they also argued that Ethel Rosenberg, although she was involved in her husband’s spying operation, really played a very minor role in it and she had been arrested, convicted and sentenced to death in part to pressure him to name other people involved. So it is a very significant book and the release of material from Russian archives has proved they were right about their arguments."