Really interesting look at executed American Ethel Rosenberg. Covers her life and experiences boy early and later in time. Relationships with her husband and children are explored to devastating effect.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ethel was executed the same day as her husband. The fbi tried to get her to spill the beans on her husband, which she never did. This book was well written.

This is a biographical history of a major Cold War event, the trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for spying on behalf of the Soviet Union. Ethel Rosenberg is presented as a sympathetic figure, which isn't the case for Julius.

We get a thorough and fascinating description of the lives of the Rosenbergs from childhood on, and the difficulties they experienced during the Great Depression that led to their joining the Communist Party. Their loyalty to the Party, even after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that kept the Soviet Union neutral and divided Poland between the Germans and Soviets is noted as a negative point. Indeed, there is no real understanding of the reasons why people, in particular urban working class children of immigrants, joined the Communist Party. This reflexive anti-communism is a flaw in what is, to sum up, a rather pedestrian work.

Nonetheless, it is worth reading as a story about an important period in American history that has been neglected since the Cold War ended in Soviet defeat. Understanding why Americans saw Communism as a viable approach to politics, and an appropriate response to the failure of capitalism in the 1930s.

A biography of Ethel Rosenberg, who was put to death after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, which was based on flimsy evidence. Ethel desperately wanted to be a good wife and mother. She loved her husband dearly. Her children were orphaned when she awaited her death in Sing Sing prison in New York. It seems she truly believed the execution would not come to fruition. She relied on pleading the fifth as not to incriminate herself, which may have worked against her. The executions of Ethel and her husband Julias were the only time in history an execution took place for a non-violent crime in a time of peace.

This was a difficult read due to many characters, hearsay, assumptions, facts, and the difficulty to understand the sentiment of the times. This would have made a fantastic historical fiction from Ethel's viewpoint. I appreciated learning of the Rosenberg's background and story. I had never heard of it and it is a very marked time in our history. Despite the seriousness of espionage allegations, it does not seem there was sufficient evidence to back up the detrimental sentence. I hope America has learned from this example.

I would recommend this read to history buffs.

Ethel Rosenberg by Anna Sebba

9781250198631

320 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: June 8, 2021

Nonfiction, Biographies, Memoirs, History, Espionage

Ethel was the middle child and only girl in her family. She was a talented singer and was a good student. She could not go to college since she needed to go to work when she graduated from school to help out her family. She met Julius Rosenberg and was smitten. He was her first boyfriend. They got married and since Julius did not have a job, they did not have anywhere to live. They had to stay with friends and family for a while.

This is an in depth look into the life of Ethel Rosenberg. She grew up in a normal American family and married her first love. The information the author provides shows us more into her life. It is a sad story with an ending we all know. Or do we? Was Ethel a Communist? Was she guilty of passing secrets? The author provides information in an easy to read and understand format. If you are interested in finding out the author’s perspective, I highly recommend reading this book.

When learning about the Cold War in high school, I vividly remember seeing a picture of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, separated by a mesh wall, while in police custody. There were a few short lines explaining their conviction for espionage and ultimate fate of facing the electric chair – but that’s all it was: a quick blurb, a very cut-and-dry mention of a trial that shocked a nation.

Anne Sebba paints a much more in depth picture of Ethel Rosenberg in this biography. Ethel had a complicated childhood that was absent of both monetary resources and maternal love. Both these factors shaped her future in a dramatic way, first leading her to adopt communist beliefs and later to throw herself wholeheartedly into motherhood, desperate to provide her children with the warmth and affection that she never received as a young girl. Learning about her life through this lens allows the reader to better understand Ethel as a complex individual, making her way in life amidst difficult family dynamics.

This deeper understanding of Ethel makes her ultimate fate much more difficult to grasp, as nothing about this version of her matches my preconceived idea of her as a nefarious spy agent (Julius on the other hand…he’s a different story). But that is what makes this book great – it challenges the reader to set aside previous perceptions, and come to their own conclusions about Ethel through carefully detailed letters, quotes, documents, and interviews (some of which were only declassified in recent years!). Whether guilty or not, the story of Ethel Rosenberg is much more complex than most Americans have been taught, and I highly recommend this biography to anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into history!

Anna Sebba's Ethel Rosenberg is a very interesting perspective on the Rosenbergs trial and the controversy that surrounded it at the time and now. Was Rosenberg guilty of being a traitor? What is a traitor? These are some of the questions Sebba tackles in her book. It is very well researched, though her bias is obvious throughout the book. Overall I enjoyed learning about the Rosenberg's background and diving beyond the surface level story, which was my experience before reading this.

Wow! I learned about the Rosenberg's in school, but this book opened your eyes to how if the government wants someone or something they will get it, no matter the cost. This is a historical biography of Ethel Rosenberg.

Ethel grew up poor with a mother who downed her whenever possible. But, Ethel rose above that. She graduated from school at 15. Joined a semi-professional choir, after being turned down once, because she couldn't read music. So she taught herself how to and reapplied and got in the choir.

She married Julius' and quit a job in Washington so he could work for the government in New York City. Even though he worked for the government, they really never made it to middle class. They had two boys, who were Ethel's whole world. They both believed and supported communism. Julius went a lot father into communism than Ethel did.

Because of jealousy from her brother and sister-in-law, Julius and Ethel were turned into the government as spies. Of course, the brother and sister-in-law were making a plea for their lives from the government when they turned the Rosenberg's in. The government was so blind and wanted to make a statement that what they set in motion soon backfired. Before the government knew it, it was out of hand and they couldn't go back, because the American people would know that the government had screwed up. They sacrificed two people because they wanted a big spy so bad.

I recommend this book if you like historical biography, then I think you will enjoy this book. Even if you like crime, you ought to read this book, because it was a crime that happened to Ethel Rosenberg.

I received the Kindle version of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion and thoughts.

Fascinating book. As a child of the 50s, I had, of course, heard about the Rosenbergs and knew that there has always been controversy about their executions. However, I never knew much about them this book, focusing on Ethel, really filled in the gaps in my knowledge. I do wish there had been a photo section in the book.

Thanks net galley for letting me read this book! I thought that I knew all about the Rosenberg's but this added more information to what I knew. I did not know that Ethel Rosenberg had a strong background in theater arts nor that she was older than her husband. I found it interesting that the the Prosecution wanted to portray her as the older woman who strongly influenced her husband's belief, as if age made the difference. I think that this would be a good book club choice as the readers can have different opinions on their guilt. The author has done her homework in this book, very detailed and well researched.

I have read numerous stories on Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. This one definitely stands out and gives us a more clear portrait of Ethel. Such a heart wrenching story. If you enjoy history and knowing a story, please check this one out.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

An in depth look at Ethel Rosenberg that covers the lead up to her death in the electric chair. It is a highly researched book which really slows down the reading. It becomes a bit cumbersome at times. With that said, it is detailed and looks at the political and social climate of the time period while looking at those factors connecting to the finding of her guilt and ultimately her death. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

This is a well written and well researched book. It presents evidence with the hypothesis that Ethel Rosenberg was an innocent party executed for her husband's espionage when she was simply a person with political beliefs that went against the establishment, and that combined with the social, political and cultural factors resulted in her execution.

It serves as a biography of Ethel's life and also looks into the effects of her death on both her family and society. While the book may not convince you that she was completely innocent, it does offer a level of insight that I haven't seen for her before. Personally, it did not convince me of her complete innocence, but I think it is definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book regarding the Rosenberg’s that I have read and therefore much of the information regarding the trial was new to me. I found the book very well researched and compelling. It provides an interesting narrative of the life of Ethel Rosenberg and the times in which she lived. And as the title implies, a sympathetic and critical look at the decisions that led to her execution.
Although at times the amount of detail provided, especially surrounding the trial, became tedious it was nonetheless necessary to provide a clear picture of the missteps and prejudices that occurred. I couldn’t help but find many parallels between the McCarthy/Hoover mentality and the mentality of the last four years of our country’s administration. While the book may not have swayed my belief that the Rosenberg’s weren’t entirely innocent, it did make me realize that their death sentence was based on fear and intolerance rather than law and justice.

The story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg captivated Americans and those around the world in the post-war late ‘40s and ‘50s. Anne Sebba brings us on a journey of their dramatic arrest, conviction and execution in this thoroughly researched book focusing on Ethel Rosenberg. Ethel was the daughter of Russian immigrants and grew up in New York amongst the Jewish community. A brilliant woman, she had an early career as a singer while working a union position. Ethel then started moving in Communist circles and joined a socialist worker’s alliance. She thought that a belief in Communism is a belief in the American dream. Ethel and Julius, whose parents were also immigrants, had similar backgrounds and met when Ethel was performing as a soloist in 1936. Both were dedicated members of the Communist party or at least dedicated to party ideals. Julius started passing United States nuclear secrets working for Soviet intelligence and was arrested by the FBI in 1950. Ethel was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit espionage and was sent to prison with little evidence. After a lengthy and controversial trial, both Ethel and Julius were tried and convicted of espionage and executed in 1953.

This dramatic and tragic story is meticulously outlined in Sebba’s book which focuses on all aspects of Ethel’s life, the birth of their children who were sadly left without parents, and the many appeals for clemency. Sebba was able to talk to many first-hand sources of the Rosenberg family and friends which gives the reader an accurate and thorough view of the Rosenberg’s story. The fact that Ethel seems innocent and was arrested with insufficient evidence is infuriating and adds to the tragedy of their Cold War story. This book is recommended for those interested in detailed history accounts and those who want to read an account of a strong woman who grew up in times when Communist sympathizers were scrutinized by all levels of the government.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very well written book on an often forgot, tragic story. The book starts off very well and keeps the reader engaged until the end. Even if you think you know the story, the author does a great job of telling the story. All the characters are well defined and most of the questions asked are answered as the story is told. The book has a great flow from beginning to end. Even if you are not a history lover, this is a great, well told and often unbelievable story.

ETHEL ROSENBERG, An American Tragedy
by ANNE SEBBA
She wanted to be a singer and an actor. Teachers called her out of class to sing the national anthem at assemblies, and she was often hired to sing at public events where her delivery of a song would move people to tears. Her family was poorly educated if at all, but she was intelligent and grabbed every opportunity to add to her education and talents.
She cared about people who were needy, or treated unfairly. And Ethel Greenglass relinquished a high paying job that she enjoyed to marry her sweetheart, Julius Rosenberg. It was a tough situation financially because he made less money than she. But in those days that’s how it was done. She adored her husband and was completely devoted to their two sons.
Most American students have a cursory knowledge of the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, who were accused along with her brother David and his wife Ruth, and Morton Sobell on suspicion of espionage, mainly providing American military secrets to Soviet agents.
Enter into the story people like Roy Cohn, Joseph McCarthy, Irving Kaufman, and Irving Saypol to name just a few who were champing at the bit to make powerful names for themselves. Sure there was a lack of evidence against Ethel, and lies that her brother and sister-in-law were coerced to swear to under oath to save their own necks, and throw in the building Red Scare and the game was on.
Through it all Ethel worried about her children, their education, emotional development, security and happiness. Writing letters to her boys as well as friends, teachers, and counselors in their lives to see that they were well cared for and thriving even under the cloud of their parents in prison and on death row.
The pressure stayed on as the prosecution, aware there was no evidence against her, Ethel, believed the threat of executing a mother with two small children would provide the leverage to extract a confession from Julius. After her particularly gruesome execution it was admitted that she was collateral damage of McCarthyism, and had indeed called their bluff.
Anne Sebba, an accomplished biographer, magnificently takes the reader back in time to see, hear, and feel the world of Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg.

I’ve long been curious about the Rosenbergs circumstances so jumped at the chance to read this book. It’s really interesting and very well written, if it’s a subject that intrigues you.

Within the entire Rosenberg affair, Ethel remains somewhat of a mystery - a Mona Lisa smile, if you will. The image created is that she is the mastermind behind the espionage. The reality, however, as laid out in this story and all the documentation it cites, is exactly the opposite.

Ethel had morals and beliefs, some of which appear to be conflicting when viewed through the lens of modern day society. But to think of the world in the late 40s and 50s, a different story emerges.

This book isn’t so much about stealing secrets as it is a psychological study of a woman caught in one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century.

#netgalley #ethelrosenberg

This is an incredibly informative book. It flows nicely and isn't boring. It is well researched and had me goigling a lot of things mentioned in the book. Makes a real case for Ethel.

I’ll admit my knowledge of the Rosenberg’s could probably be summarized as: Couple convicted on passing military secrets to the Soviet Union who were executed by electrocution.

Anne Sebba’s Ethel Rosenberg did much to humanize Ethel in particular. She was able to humanize this greatly reviled figure of Cold War intrigue by showing the reader Ethel Rosenberg as a person who had dreams of being a singer, who fell into Communism and in love with Julius Rosenberg and desperately wanted to be the best wife and mother possible. But Ethel Rosenberg was far from naïve. She was fiercely loyal and highly intelligent.

Sebba explains that we have to look the Rosenberg’s through the political hysteria of the McCarthy Hearings and general atmosphere of Communist paranoia where any little association with a Communist could get one branded. The Rosenberg’s are certainly naive and idealistic and Julius certainly passed on secrets to the Soviets, but Ethel was removed from any grand communist plot if one existed at all. Still Ethel was used as a pawn by law enforcement officials desperate to get Julius-the hardcore communist traitor.

But she wouldn’t perhaps couldn’t save herself.

Thus making herself for Sebba a tragically heroic figure.