Everyone, of a certain age, knows the names of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. But what do we really know about who they were and their story and whether they were guilty or innocent
together or if only one was guilty? If you are of a mind to know the historical truth about Ethel, and to a slightly lesser degree, Julius, then this in-depth account will fill in all the cracks in your knowledge. This deeply studied and highly annotated book relies on recently released documents and interviews about the case and the people involved as it gives a well rounded view of what many consider to be an extreme case of American injustice. “Ethel Rosenberg” does a great job at being a highly educational and highly readable book that captures both your mind and your emotions. Thank you to NetGalley for this advance read copy.

This book was very well researched. I liked how the author believed in Ethel’s innocence and centered her text and examples around that premise rather than trying to be totally objective. Her family interviews strengthen the book. I also liked how she showed how Ethel’s story was adapted in other literature

"She called our bluff."

The U.S. Deputy Attorney General boiled down the case of Ethel Rosenberg to four words: "She called our bluff."

The case against Julius Rosenberg was clear -- he had given classified information to Soviet agents. He had recruited people to spy for the Soviets. There were witnesses and there was evidence.

The case against Ethel was not clear, probably because the only evidence against her was the testimony her brother, also charged with spying, had made up. Whether the prosecution actually believed that Ethel was guilty, we don't know, but they thought they could get her to give evidence against Julius and others if they threatened her with the death penalty. They were wrong.

Anne Sebba presents a gripping narrative of Ethel and her family, her refusal to back down, and the price she had to pay. We also learned about the aftermath, including the fate of the Rosenberg's two sons. Fascinating!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

I was very interested to learn more about the childhood and background of Rosenberg and this book did not disappoint! It really filled in the gaps the sensational news stories of the day (and now!) left out.

Ethel Rosenberg has always seemed a "footnote" to her husband in the Rosenberg case. This book gives her depth and dimension lacking in other publications.

This book is the story of two people, caught in a web of lies & truths. It is a story that will never find an ending.
It is a story of a young Jewish couple living on the lower east side on Manhattan who tried to do what they thought was right and got swallowed up in the red scare of post World War II.
I started this review saying that it is the story of two people, but it is actually the story of one woman - Ethel Rosenberg, who along with her husband Julius, was executed in the United States for being spies for Communist USSR. Most books on this subject paint a picture of a passive wife who went along with her husband. But Ethel was no compliant housewife. The author presents Ethel as a very intelligent woman who had a troubled life growing up, and who had her own opinions; who tried to be the best mother to her two young children; and who was implicated by her brother and sister-in-law as a member of a Soviet spy ring in which Julius Rosenberg was a recruiter.
The Rosenberg execution will continue to be a subject of argument. But Anne Sebba presents a valid defense for Ethel, who probably knew what her husband was doing, but was not part of the spy ring. The trial evidence was mostly circumstantial, and although there was a great deal of this evidence against Julius, such was not the case with Ethel.
Sebba's well researched book should be read as a lesson in national hysteria and discrimination. It will not settle the Rosenberg case, but it will give readers an opportunity to view this tragic story in a different light. I have read a number of books on this subject, and long ago made up my mind about this alarming period in history. I leave it to you to read this and decide for yourself - was the verdict justified, or was the verdict the result of the hate and discriminatory atmosphere of the time?

This one takes a bit to get started, but it’s worth it if you’re at all interested in this story.
I wasn’t old enough to remember this, so it was mostly new information and opinions.
I don’t know if either or both of the Rosenbergs were guilty. There seem to be so many different opinions. It was interesting to read them.
I’ll continue to be unsure. Read it and decide for yourself.

3 1/2 Stars
The thoroughness of the book is both a blessing and a curse. At times I found myself skipping ahead and others, thoroughly enraptured with the portrait it painted of Ethel Rosenberg. A very informative read, and it well highlights the cultural questions of the time. While much like the author, I don’t believe the Rosenbergs were completely innocent, Sebba elucidates the trial's problems very well. However, with an obvious bias, I’m afraid to say.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

I wish the author had done more original research. Although she succeeded in portraying Ethel as a sympathetic and tragic figure, there were no new revelations about the case.

Ethel Rosenberg is the biography of Ethel’s life. I had not heard of the story before reading but found it intriguing. The story details the political, cultural and social differences that led to the conviction and execution of Ethel.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

Although I'd heard the names of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and knew they'd been executed, I knew little else when I started reading this book. Ms. Sebba really fleshed out the characters of the entire Greenglass and Rosenberg families. Throughout the book, I admit I remained skeptical as to whether Ethel was justly charged.

I don't know if there is such a thing as a "spoiler" for a nonfiction book, but the end of the book convinced me that Ethel was treated unjustly. I've watched the "60 Minutes" segment regarding this segment of American history.

I think this book does what good historical books do: they inspire you to read more about the subject. Ms. Sebba describes positive and negative aspects of Ethel's character and doesn't fall into hagiography at any time.

This book is complete and well-written. I highly recommend it.

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Moving and Emotional
Talk about emotional, this biography of Ethel Rosenberg will tear at your heart. She and her husband Julius were electrocuted in 1953 after being convicted of spying for Russia. They left behind two young sons. This book focuses on Ethel and her devotion to her husband. This happened during the 1950's when the nation was focused on the political paranoia of the McCarthy era. She got caught up in a government that was paralyzed by fear. The evidence against her was not strong and the government used her brother's perjured evidence. A perfect example of government over reach and trampling on the rights of citizens. A moving biography that I found very interesting especially with the letters. I read a copy via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to review it.

Anne Seba did a great job with "Ethel Rosenberg", as this is a part of American history that always seemed confusing to me. She enlightened me of the parts which are not really mentioned and what was before and after. In addition, interesting facts of what grew from the happenings of time. But, like history it tended to be a bit dry for me, however like any mystery I was drawn in to find what happened. Thank you netgalley for this opportunity.

Humanizes an important character in American history. We've heard a glossing over of her story, and have been horrified at her execution. Given today's hunger for blood and outrage, we find ourselves in the human part of the story. While the book sometimes bogs down in painstaking research and details, it's only a matter of personal preference and ease to slide forward into how Sebba has brought Ethel Rosenberg to life. This book is an experience in every good sense of the word.

My father was interested in the Rosenberg case, so I heard a lot about this case when I was growing up. He believed that executing Ethel Rosenberg was wrong and that she had just been made some sort of scapegoat for her husband's crimes. So when NetGalley offered me a chance to read "Ethel Rosenberg" I requested it immediately. And now that I have finished the book I have a clearer picture of Ethel Rosenberg, First of all, she wasn't totally innocent, certainly, not just a scapegoat., She was a devout communist. She loved and supported Julius Rosenberg who definitely was passing military secrets to the Russians. She even seemingly recruited members of her own family to help him. But oddly enough this book shows us that she had great character as well. She was loyal to friends and compatriots and devoted to her causes whether it was becoming a fine musician or a hard working communist activist. But her crowning achievement was that she was a great mother. She and her husband were executed for selling the secrets of their country's most deadly military weapon, but amazingly her children not only turned out well, but were smashingly successful Anyone who's ever had an interest in this case will certainly enjoy this book.

Ethel Rosenberg by Anne Sebba is a comprehensive version of the life, beliefs, and execution of Ethel Rosenberg. The author has included some of the research footnotes to substantiate the facts that were available to the public. I highlighted many of the passages in this book on my Kindle, and there were times I wanted to say aloud, 'Ethel didn't pass secrets or items to the Soviets it was her husband and her brother!'
Ethel was extremely intelligent and talented. She was ambitious and she loved her family. There was no evidence that Ethel knew the full extent of her husband's spy activities. It seems Ethel was arrested, tried, and executed because she did not show emotion as the investigators thought she should and she refused to say anything negative about her husband.
Yes, Ethel did believe in the communist ideals and wanted the US to become more sympathetic to the communist causes. But there is no proof that she was complicit in the passing of information to the Soviets.
As I read the book, I felt angry with Ethel's mother and especially her brother David and his wife Ruth. I wonder why Julius did not say more to distance his wife and the mother of his children from the scrutiny of the investigators. According to this book, there is little to prove he ever strongly defended Ethel or tried to save her from execution. Ethel's silence and use of the Fifth Amendment to refuse to answer questions during her trial made her seem as if she knew more, and it is possible she really did have more knowledge than she wanted to reveal.
The conclusion of the matter is: Julius and David were guilty of spy activities, giving information and parts to the Soviets. That was so wrong, and they were guilty! The investigators, prosecuting attorney, and the judge knew this, but wanted to make an example of Ethel and Julius during the McCarthy era. If Ethel knew more about her husband's activities and if she participated, there was no evidence. I wonder how she could stay silent for her husband, when the children she loved would be left homeless and at the mercy of a community who wanted to execute her? I find it hard to reconcile her loyalty to her husband at the expense of her children.

The book makes me question in general, why people who immigrate to the United States to avoid persecution and political unrest, think it is acceptable to betray the country that offered them asylum or a chance for a new beginning? The US accepts those who are in need of protection, but it is a shame that some of these immigrants are not satisfied and then set about to betray the laws and change their host country. The author gives a view of the depth of Jewish Communists in the US during the war years. I am glad I read the book, but it left me feeling unsettled about the future of our United States of America.
Publication Date: June 8, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Informative, but a smidge tedious.

Anne Sebba clearly has a long fascination with the death of Ethel Rosenberg and this book evidences her detailed research into the topic of Rosenberg’s history, life and the legacy that was left following her untimely death.
This book is timely in that there seems to be another trend of fearing what others may think and say and attempting to silence them at all costs. From Sebba’s research it seems that Ethel’s death was meant to be an example and one must see that this seems to be happening yet again the the history of the western world.
Being much younger than Ethel Rosenberg and having grown up in the Southwest of the US, I actually never had heard of this case and appreciated what I learned in this record. I found it to be a bit repetitive, so I’ll admit, I skimmed a bit of the first portion of the book— the tedious background and a bit of the epilogue so that I could get through it. All in all, an interesting read.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

An ugly tale of what one woman chose at a time when women had few choices in their lives. While there is much to be learned from this book, the writing fell flat for me. It is dense with information with little life to the telling of the tale.

I've read about this case before and its tragic. This gave a lot of detail and it kept me interested. I really liked it.

A very interesting biography of Ethel Rosenberg chronicling her life, court case and subsequent death by execution. This biography reads like a thrilling novel. The mystery surrounding Ethel is mesmerizing as is her relationship with her mother, husband, and family. I thoroughly enjoyed this biography and learning about this piece of American history. This was well researched pulling together a lot of information which was understandable.