The Double Helix

First published in 1968, this memoir recounts James D. Watson's years in Cambridge as he and Francis Crick race to model the structure of DNA. The narrative follows work at the Cavendish Laboratory, competition with Linus Pauling and with Maurice Wilkins's group at King's College, and the use of X-ray diffraction images associated with Rosalind Franklin. Watson records lab gossip, failed models, and the pairing of bases that yields a double helix. The book is a first-person account of one discovery, not a textbook of molecular biology and not a full life of its author.

Frontis + 23 other b&w photographic illustrations and 11 text figs. Black cloth quarter binding with green foil blocked titles and illustrated paper sides. Black slipcase.