An extremely readable account of how the atom was split. Cathcart's biggest strength in this book, I think, is the balance between the science and the history/characters of the scientists involved. (The science itself is clearly explained; it probably helps that the author isn't a scientist himself and so can more easily resist the urge to fall back into jargon and digressions.)

I find a lot of pop sci books struggle with this balance - either they're too superficial regarding the science, or they overload it so the reader is struggling in a swamp of (often extraneous) detail. The Fly in the Cathedral is very well done in this regard. I felt an emotional connection to the people involved, and I felt I could understand - at least on a layperson's level - what it was they were doing. On top of that, I actually enjoyed reading it. Can't ask for much more than that.