The Rosenbergs | Inside the CIA

In June 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg became the only U.S. civilians ever executed for spying during the Cold War. They were not trained intelligence officers but an ordinary couple accused of funneling nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. Their case reveals the personal cost of espionage—not just for those who steal secrets, but for everyone drawn into a world of deception and high-stakes decisions. David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and now a bestselling spy novelist and co-host of The Rest is Classified, explains what the intelligence world is really like, how the Cold War shaped espionage, and whether spies like the Rosenbergs truly altered history.

What a CIA Analyst Actually Does

McCloskey joined the CIA as an intern at age 19. The vetting process was intense: a full background investigation with investigators interviewing friends, neighbors, and family, plus psychological exams and multiple polygraphs. The most intrusive was the "lifestyle polygraph," which can take three to four hours. The polygrapher pushes you to feel you are lying, even when you are not, to see what comes up under pressure. McCloskey describes it as "one of the more stressful experiences of my young life."