J. D. Bernal. The sage of science. By Andrew Brown. Pp. 576. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Price (paperback) GBP 12.99. ISBN 978-0-19-920565-3
Abstract
Keywords: book review . I first heard the name Sage one morning in Oxford in the winter of 1962, having just arrived from New Zealand. Dorothy Hodgkin, in a delighted state, literally skipped out of her room saying `Sage is coming!' Cakes were bought and when he arrived we were all subjected to his questions, comments and advice. His friendly interested manner removed any serious nerves and it was immediately obvious that he really had a thorough grasp of what we were trying to do. I found this biography of J. D. Bernal by Andrew Brown a serious and extraordinarily good read, indeed I could hardly put it down. There is much in it that is new, the writing flows well, the organization of the diverse and complex material is deeply researched and handled impressively and for me, though not I suspect for all, the detail is often fascinating. One gets a vivid impression of Bernal's immense intellect and his scientific abilities, his moral and social attitudes, his critical role in crystallography's growth and his extraordinarily eventful life. The book was first published in 2005 and has been widely reviewed, generally very favourably but it is nonetheless worthwhile