And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic, 20th-Anniversary Edition, Edition 2

· St. Martin's Griffin
4.5
43 reviews
Ebook
656
Pages
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About this ebook

Upon its first publication more than twenty years ago, And the Band Played on was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of investigative reporting.

An international bestseller, a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and made into a critically acclaimed movie, Shilts' expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80's while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat. One of the few true modern classics, it changed and framed how AIDS was discussed in the following years. Now republished in a special 20th Anniversary edition, And the Band Played On remains one of the essential books of our time.

Ratings and reviews

4.5
43 reviews
Teresa Barrett
August 3, 2022
I read this when it was first published, and it's even more impressive now. Mr. Shiltz was able to capture the tragedy of the AIDS crisis in real time, and without the benefit of retrospection. I think this book is probably the most historically significant one ever written on the early days of AIDS, and should be viewed as a cautionary tale of how quickly a pandemic can begin. Everyone should read this!
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A Google user
September 16, 2010
Randy Shilts has written an incredibly detailed accounting of what happened, and what failed to happen, during the 1980's. Through detailed interviews and research, he shows how the disease spread, and who the people were who fought to keep the disease controlled. More interesting than that, however, is his account of how the government's inaction contributed to the present day AIDS crisis, specifically the complete lack of executive leadership under Reagan. He also shows us how the blood banks refused to adopt procedures to reduce AIDS transmissions, and how the gay community itself contributed to the crisis by refusing to close the bathhouses in San Francisco. Every gay person should read this book, as should everyone who knows someone with HIV/AIDS. Your view of the disease and American politics in the 80's will be forever changed.
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Spark Swain
June 19, 2018
An excellent book, Shilts writes with compassion and a deep skill that makes "And The Band Played On" a must read on the AIDS epidemic and the people closest to the start of it's horrific beginning.
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About the author

Randy Shilts was born in 1951, in Davenport, Iowa. One of the first openly gay journalists hired at a major newspaper, he worked for the San Francisco Chronicle for thirteen years. He died of AIDS in 1994 at his home in the Sonoma County redwoods in California. He was the author of The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk (1982), And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic (1987), and Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in the U.S. Military (1993). He also wrote extensively for many major newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Newsweek, Esquire, The Los Angeles Times, and The Advocate. And the Band Played On was made into a docudrama that was broadcast on HBO in 1993.

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