The discovery of the double helix structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 underlies virtually all advances in modern genetics and molecular biology. But how did scientists arrive at this result, and why is this success attributed to Watson and Crick? In the narrative of Markel, one of the world's leading experts on the history of medicine, the names behind this greatest scientific breakthrough are five (not two!) scientists, each worthy of fame and immortality: James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. Brilliant minds and strong personalities, they proved to be both collaborators and competitors. The author makes Rosalind Franklin the protagonist, thus raising, among other important scientific topics, questions of male chauvinism, anti-Semitism, and injustice. The author takes the reader on an intellectual journey, recreating the intense pursuit of truth and the complex picture of personal relationships, delicately touching on the mysteries of life that go far beyond biology.