Review
When I was about half way through reading Maddox’s book I discovered a small yellow card which was, I assumed, to be used for a reader’s review. Since the card had room for only a few words I was rather put off by the limited opportunity to praise this superb work. By the time I found the card I was already well hooked on the book and literally couldn't put it down. I wanted to tell everyone how good and interesting it was and a few words just wasn't going to do it.

Maddox is a competent and thorough biographer. Either she has a good understanding of the scientific work that Franklin did or she did her homework but either way she has told a story of a fascinating scientist and her work and working environment.

Rosalind Franklin was the daughter of an upper class Jewish family. She was born in London in 1920. While the family was connected with the banking business Rosalind showed a very early interest in science and mathematics and consequently little interest in the family’s commercial ventures. While her family did not actively oppose her pursuit of a career in science they did not encourage it either. It appears that only at the time of her death at age 37 did they realize how good she was in her field.

Franklin herself is a fascinating character. She could have been the subject of a fictionalized biography of a scientist (i.e. Martin Arrowsmith) and been a charming heroine. As a real person she is even more interesting. She received a good education in the sciences and in physics in the best British schools and then proceeded to work her way up the scientific career ladder in what was then largely a man’s world. Her specialty was x-ray crystallography. This is a specialty that Maddox could have done a bit more to explain. Briefly it is a method of deducing the structure of a molecule or atomic crystal by measuring the way in which x-rays are scattered by the crystal. It requires superb experimental technique, complex analytical procedures and sometimes fortunate insight. Franklin had all of the skills and the patience to succeed in everything she tried. She was devoted to detailed, step by step building of theory based on experimental verification at each step. She was very demanding of herself and she expected very high standards of scientific excellence from her colleagues, her co-workers, and her superiors in the academic hierarchy. She did not get along well with many and among those with whom she did not get along were some who had a great deal of control over her advancement and research funding and facilities. While there were many who developed an intense dislike for her, there were also many who had enormous respect and she had a large cadre of devoted personal friends both male and female.

It was Franklin’s x-ray scattering photographs of DNA, supplied without her knowledge or permission, that gave Watson and Crick the key that allowed them to hypothesize the double helix structure of DNA. In the years following the Watson and Crick publication, all concerned seemed to acknowledge her critical contribution. Later in 1968 when Watson published his controversial but enormously successful book “The Double Helix” Watson not only de-emphasized Franklin’s contribution but also made some unflattering and probably untrue personal comments about her. At this point most of the scientific community who knew about Franklin and her work came to her defense but it was too late to give her any solace. Franklin died of cancer in 1958 at the age of 37. In 1962, Watson, Crick and Wilkins were awarded a Nobel Prize for their discovery. Alas the Nobel Prize is never awarded to anyone not living at the time and never to more than three individuals for related work.

Maddox’s book can be considered to have three faces and almost anyone can find something that appeals. First, it is a fascinating biography of a fascinating person. One reviewer, after reading the book, said he wished he could have met her. So do I.

The book is also a description of the training and life of a scientist of the highest status. Some of the material about molecular biology, biochemistry and x-ray crystallography may not be meaningful to most readers. If so, my suggestion to the reader is just scan through that material. There isn't that much of it and it is a great story even without it.

And finally it is a great description of life in the academic community in Britain, France and the US in the 1940s to 1960s. A sort of scientific “Lucky Jim”.

~ Edmond R. Pelta, Harpswell, Maine - December 15, 2004