A Place in History
The Biography of John C. Kendrew
Paul M. Wassarman
Reviews and Awards
"This volume presents the first book-length account of Kendrew's life and career, including relatively obscure biographical details and how he arrived at groundbreaking conclusions about myoglobin by employing early computers in crystallography . . . The biographer's archival research and interviews enable many insights into Kendrew's personality and character . . . Wassarman's prose is carefully edited and readable, and the technical information is accessible." -- A. K. Ackerberg-Hastings, CHOICE
"In this wide-ranging and detailed biography, Wassarman captures Kendrewâs outstanding contributions and sympathetically illuminates the personality of an essentially private man." -- Tony Crowther, FRS, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
"This fascinating biography brings together the public and the private persona to reveal a man who was meticulous, tenacious, and passionate." -- Paul Harris, FBA, Harvard University
"John Kendrew was a visionary with a deep understanding of science, people, and politics. Paul Wassarman has now produced, in this sensitive and perceptive biography, a superbly well-researched account of the life and times of a great man." -- Richard Henderson, FRS, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2017
"Paul Wassarmanâs biography provides the links and insight that help explain Kendrewâs initial professional passion, that is for research, then his rapid transformation, following his success with the myoglobin structure, into the spokesperson for the internationalization of European life science in the service of peace. As one of his successors at EMBL, I found the insight into his character and motivations fascinating." -- Iain Mattaj, FRS, Foundation Human Technopole
"Seldom have I encountered a biography which is both comprehensive and teeming with fascinating information told with exceptional felicity. This elegant book, accessible to non-scientists, deserves to be widely read." -- Sir John Meurig Thomas, FRS, University of Cambridge
"John Kendrew was one of the most formidable of modern British scientists. He has, however, hitherto had no full-scale biography. Paul Wassarman has written an absorbing study of a man whose life is in many ways central to contemporary British life and culture." -- Ross McKibbin,FBA, University of Oxford