"Ages 16-adult. In 1951, at the height of the anti-Communist fervor, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried and convicted for conspiracy to commit espionage (passing atomic secrets to Russian agents) and executed for their crimes. Extensive, well-edited archival footage, stills, and informative voice-over narration re-create the political climate of this era and emphasize the public outcry over the controversial trial. Commentary from Walter Cronkite, attorneys, authors, the Rosenberg’s son, and trial participants give depth to the coverage. Dramatic readings of courtroom testimony and prison correspondence between the alleged spies interweaves with newspaper headlines and news clips. Interesting both as a slice of history and an examination of legal operations, this title, sampled from a four-part series, is a solid selection for schools and public libraries. Other series titles examine Sacco and Vanzetti, the Scottsboro Boys, and the Scopes “Monkey Trial”. - Candace Smith - September 2000"
-Booklist
SummaryIn New York City in 1951, six years after the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and in the midst of post-World War II anti-Communist fervor, Julius Rosenberg and his wife, Ethel, were tried for conspiracy to commit espionage.
The trial has been the subject of controversy for nearly 50 years. Some see the Rosenbergs as victims of a hysterical fear of Communism that lasted in the U.S. through most of the 1950s. Others see them as criminals who compromised the nation's security and deserved the punishment they received, which was execution.
Both the Rosenbergs maintained their innocence to the end.
