The Atom Spies

The Atomic Spies, first published in 1952, remains one of the best accounts of the Soviet atomic espionage rings operating in the U.S. during the 1940s and early 1950s. Tracing the lives of the major players working for the Soviets - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Klaus Fuchs, Ruth and David Greenglass - the book describes the clandestine meetings, the investigations of the FBI, and finally the trial for treason of the Rosenbergs which resulted in their execution in 1953. While new information has become available, especially on the true role of Ethel Rosenberg and the estimate of Julius Rosenberg’s work as a Soviet agent, The Atom Spies well-captures the mood of the times and provides valuable insight into the motives of those involved in providing the Soviets with closely guarded secrets of the U.S. program to build an atomic bomb.