The Nobel Prize for the discovery of the structure of DNA was given to three scientists – James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. It was the experimental work of Wilkins and his colleague Rosalind Franklin that provided the clues to the structure. Here, Wilkins, who died in 2004, gives us his own account of his life, his early work in physics, the tensions and exhilaration of working on DNA, and his much discussed difficult relationship with his colleague Rosalind. This is a highly readable, and often moving account from a highly distinguished scientist who played one of the key roles in the historic discovery of the molecule behind inheritance.
Preface
List of plates
1: Distant shores
2: Finding my feet
3: In a world at war
4: Randall's circus
5: Crystal genes
6: Go back to your microscopes!
7: How does DNA keep its secrets?
8: The double helix
9: Living with the double helix
10: A broader view
Index
"No intelligent person who wishes to know how the universe works should fail to read this book. Not only is it completely understandable to the layman, it is also often very amusing"
– Arthur C. Clarke, Times Higher Education Supplement