And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
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- Author：Randy Shilts
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Summary
An international bestseller and winner of the Stonewall Book Award， which inspired an award-winning film
Randy Shilts was the first openly gay journalist dealing with gay issues for the San Francisco Chronicle。 In 1981， the year when AIDS came to international attention， he quickly devoted himself to reporting on the developing epidemic， one which devastated his community and eventually took his life as well。
Shilts interviewed over 1，000 people， weaving together extensive research in the form of personal stories and political reportage。 He was perfectly placed to understand the cultural， medical and political impact of the disease on the gay community and United States society as a whole。 And the Band Played On exposes why AIDS was allowed to spread while the medical and political authorities ignored and even denied the threat。
This book remains one of the great works of contemporary journalism and provides the foundation for continuing debates over governmental failure in handling lethal epidemics。
Randy Shilts was the first openly gay journalist dealing with gay issues for the San Francisco Chronicle。 In 1981， the year when AIDS came to international attention， he quickly devoted himself to reporting on the developing epidemic， one which devastated his community and eventually took his life as well。
Shilts interviewed over 1，000 people， weaving together extensive research in the form of personal stories and political reportage。 He was perfectly placed to understand the cultural， medical and political impact of the disease on the gay community and United States society as a whole。 And the Band Played On exposes why AIDS was allowed to spread while the medical and political authorities ignored and even denied the threat。
This book remains one of the great works of contemporary journalism and provides the foundation for continuing debates over governmental failure in handling lethal epidemics。
Reviews
Rob1
，
Riveting nonfiction that should be on the syllabus in every high school American history course that covers this era。
Danielle
，
And the Band Played On took me nearly a month to read。 I'm a quick reader and can typically finish a 300 page book in a day or so， but the content of this piece made me pace myself pretty heavily。 The subject matter is one that deserves careful attention， and it is easy for a person to feel emotionally drained after a few chapters。 That's not a criticism - if anything， it's praise。 Shilts was able to capture the tragedy of the early days of AIDs in the United States in a way like nothing else I' And the Band Played On took me nearly a month to read。 I'm a quick reader and can typically finish a 300 page book in a day or so， but the content of this piece made me pace myself pretty heavily。 The subject matter is one that deserves careful attention， and it is easy for a person to feel emotionally drained after a few chapters。 That's not a criticism - if anything， it's praise。 Shilts was able to capture the tragedy of the early days of AIDs in the United States in a way like nothing else I've read or seen before。 There is an excruciating first section of the book where we see the very first few mysterious cases crop up。 As the epidemic progresses you will want to scream， cry， and throw your book across the room。 The debate around closing the bathhouses and funding is particularly brutal， along with， of course， Regan's refusal to acknowledge the disease as it ravaged the LGBTQ community and others。This is a really important read， especially for someone who was born about 10 years after AIDs came to the US。 I only had a vague idea of how awful things were。 I wish sections were required reading in high school social studies classes， especially in a post-covid-19 time when we as a society decided it was okay to let certain kinds of people die。 。。。more
Lily Cormier
，
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING。 The way the narrative was written made 600 pages feel like nothing。 The beginning of the AIDS epidemic is something I think is not taught or talked about nearly enough; it’s a prime example of how interwoven political and social elements are with public health， and it was just the unfortunate combination of all of these that made AIDS be ignored for so long。 I just wonder how society would be different if the amazing minds of thousands of （primarily） gay men weren’t snuffe THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING。 The way the narrative was written made 600 pages feel like nothing。 The beginning of the AIDS epidemic is something I think is not taught or talked about nearly enough; it’s a prime example of how interwoven political and social elements are with public health， and it was just the unfortunate combination of all of these that made AIDS be ignored for so long。 I just wonder how society would be different if the amazing minds of thousands of （primarily） gay men weren’t snuffed out by this horrible disease。 。。。more
Joseph Stieb
，
An epic of investigative scientific journalism as well as an fascinating anthropology of the gay community's response to the AIDS crisis。 Shilts skillfully blends the politics， people， and science to produce a book that simultaneously informs you and keeps you engaged。 Much of it reads like an epidemiological thriller， and other parts are heartbreakingly sad。 It covers the epidemic up to the mid 1980s， ending with Rock Hudson's death and the massive attention this brought to the crisis-to the co An epic of investigative scientific journalism as well as an fascinating anthropology of the gay community's response to the AIDS crisis。 Shilts skillfully blends the politics， people， and science to produce a book that simultaneously informs you and keeps you engaged。 Much of it reads like an epidemiological thriller， and other parts are heartbreakingly sad。 It covers the epidemic up to the mid 1980s， ending with Rock Hudson's death and the massive attention this brought to the crisis-to the consternation of gays who had been suffering from it for years。 SO it doesn't get to the later efforts of activists to permit terminally ill patients to try out different experimental drugs before they received FDA approval， which you can study in something like How to Survive a Plague。There are a few problems with this book， but none to make it worth skipping。 At times it goes into a little too much depth， it uses a fair amount of non-PC language we would avoid today， and it advances the Patient Zero concept regarding the somewhat villainous Gaetan Dugas， which has since been debunked （although Dugas definitely continued to have nihilistic， unprotected Shilts was gay himself， and he died of AIDS in the early 90s。 One interesting aspect of this book is that he is pretty critical of the gay community's response。 I haven't read a ton on AIDS， and it obviously isn't a "gay disease，" but Shilts shows that sexual behavior among a certain sub-culture of urban gay men made it especially vulnerable to this type of disease。 Hep B had taken off among bathhouse users and other members of a promiscuous hookup culture in places like San Francisco and NYC before AIDS。 Shilts argues that gay people were so shamed， denied， and stigmatized that when they got to NYC or San Fran， they indulged in a seemingly consequence-free sexual paradise that became a hotbed for STD transmission。 I found this to be a sympathetic analysis， although I bet scholars have since critiqued it。 What's less understandable， and what clearly irked Shilts， was that as the epidemic got rolling people continued to go to the bathhouses， and bathhouse owners （a surprisingly powerful and organized group） vehemently opposed。 Radical activists called more moderate gay critics "sexual fascists" and opposed any attempt to restrict sexual behavior， even though bathhouses must have been major AIDS transmission sites。 Eventually they shut down， but not after a lot of ugly politics within the gay community。Shilts also tracks the epidemiology of AIDS on a global basis， which was fascinating。 There was also a great deal of pettiness and politicking in that process， including Robert Gallo basically stealing a French discovery of the virus itself， issues over testing that might create a "gay registry" or out people who wanted to stay in the closet， and confusion over how the virus was transmitted that fueled anti-gay backlash。 Many scientists withheld important information so they could get it published in top journals， which was obviously a malfunctioning of incentives and ethics。 Overall， it was clear that the stigma of AIDS as a gay disease scared off a lot of scientists。 Moreover， the Reagan administration's sluggish， somewhat apathetic response to the disease probably had something to do with the gay stigma， although the evangelical Surgeon General C。 Everett Koop deserves credit for taking it seriously， if belatedly so。 The media also merits some criticism here: AIDS received relatively low coverage compared to diseases like Legionnaires， but when it started to overlap into the straight community， it was lavished with attention。 Reporters may have been generally liberal and sympathetic to gays， but this book is a good argument for actual representation of marginalized groups like this in newsrooms and other institutions。In sum， this is a great book， although a pretty long book， that moved me and informed me。 It is sad， but it shows the tremendous resilience of humanity。 Definitely recommended for those interesting in LGBTQ history， the history of diseases， and the politics of viruses （quite relevant now， I would say）。 。。。more
Liberty
，
I finally finished this beast。 It took so long because I could only read a few pages before I was down a Google rabbit hole， searching people and science and current facts。 My poor family has been subjected to nightly bouts of "did you know such and such and such happened？？？ In 1982？ In 1983？ In 1985？" They have patiently listened while I digest and process this extensive history of the late 70s and 80s AIDS crisis。 If anything， it just confirms for me that politics and bureaucracy are a bunch o I finally finished this beast。 It took so long because I could only read a few pages before I was down a Google rabbit hole， searching people and science and current facts。 My poor family has been subjected to nightly bouts of "did you know such and such and such happened？？？ In 1982？ In 1983？ In 1985？" They have patiently listened while I digest and process this extensive history of the late 70s and 80s AIDS crisis。 If anything， it just confirms for me that politics and bureaucracy are a bunch of BS that does not benefit or help the people it professes to serve。 I remember being in 5th grade when my elementary school shut down all the water fountains for fear AIDS could be spread by saliva。 I remember it being a terrifying time， before there was testing， with no vaccine or cure， just a 100% deadly disease that the smartest people in the world couldn't explain how it was spread， or how to keep the population from contracting it。 A little girl on the playground kissed me on the swing set， and in my child-like mind I just knew that I had AIDS。 😳 I couldn't tell you what that meant as a 9 year old child， but I was pretty sure that I would die。I will say that I was surprised by the details of the science unfolding。 As hundreds of thousands of people continued to be infected throughout the book and scientists raced to get to the bottom of what was causing and spreading AIDS， I kept yelling， "oh my gosh！ I know the answer I know the answer！ Pick me pick me！ I know you're the smartest scientists in the world， but I can see you're struggling！ It's a retrovirus that causes AIDS！ I'm here from the future to tell you！ It's HIV， is HIV！ Hurry and figure it out before everybody dies！"It's difficult to assess a star level to give a book like this。 I didn't enjoy it， but I enjoyed it。 It was hard reading， but it made me think deeply and compassionately about the unfolding of this particular era in history， and about the humans who suffered through it and died with no answers。 I dig a book that makes me think， and it's a bonus that this particular one reads like a novel。 Plus what's better to read during a pandemic than a true journalistic account of a terrifying epidemic？I give And the Band Played On。。。 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Eric
，
I feel absolutely physically and emotionally exhausted after reading this。 Even though the very end of this book takes place almost 35 years ago， Shilts relentless， gripping journalistic approach to the early stages of the AIDS epidemic through 1987 takes you back to the era and makes you feel as though you're reliving it。 Much of the scientific detail was hard to understand or flat out over my head， but Shilts presents the AIDS epidemic in a way that makes you feel the pain of ultra-marginalize I feel absolutely physically and emotionally exhausted after reading this。 Even though the very end of this book takes place almost 35 years ago， Shilts relentless， gripping journalistic approach to the early stages of the AIDS epidemic through 1987 takes you back to the era and makes you feel as though you're reliving it。 Much of the scientific detail was hard to understand or flat out over my head， but Shilts presents the AIDS epidemic in a way that makes you feel the pain of ultra-marginalized （at best - hated， at worst） gay America， the scientific community， Reagan-era conservative policy， and everything in between。 Clearly， AIDS as a gay disease seemed to make everyone uncomfortable and the answer， sadly， was for most people to ignore the problem， point fingers， make excuses， or do nothing。 Outside of some brave scientists， activists， some politicians and， of course， the victims themselves， AIDS was pushed to the back burner over and over again in early 1980's Reagan America。 It was devastating to read about tragedy after tragedy。 I'm glad I read this。 It fills in a gap in my memory that is largely there because I was too young to truly understand the impact of the epidemic at the time。 Incredibly powerful and essential reading。 。。。more
Jove
，
A fascinating， entertaining， frightening look at the initial public health and political response to the AIDS epidemic。 Reading this at the tail end of America's COVID19 surge， it was impressive how the nation's public health needs （bathhouse closures， mask wearing， vaccination） have come into conflict with a perverse definition of individual freedom。 The political dynamics that led to the weak statements and actions from public health （aversion to offending constituents） and blood banks （allowi A fascinating， entertaining， frightening look at the initial public health and political response to the AIDS epidemic。 Reading this at the tail end of America's COVID19 surge， it was impressive how the nation's public health needs （bathhouse closures， mask wearing， vaccination） have come into conflict with a perverse definition of individual freedom。 The political dynamics that led to the weak statements and actions from public health （aversion to offending constituents） and blood banks （allowing profit to blind them from reality / abject greed） have fewer parallels in our more modern epidemic。 The book is also peppered with incredible political stories I was unfamiliar with， such as the assassination of Harvey Milk， and the near non prosecution of Dan White。 Although other books from this time period focus more exclusively on this issue， its hard not to be struck by how terrifying and saddening that time period must have been for gay men。 。。。more
Jake Gnolfo
，
Finishing this book after a week of dense reading left my speechless。 I truly do not have words to convey my emotions towards this book。 Synopsis: “Why was AIDS allowed to spread unchecked during the early 1980s while our most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat？ In this brilliant， now classic exposé， Randy Shilts does nothing less than answer this frightening question。” （Book Cover）。 Review: I don’t think I have read a book more frustrating， emotionally draining， and inspirational Finishing this book after a week of dense reading left my speechless。 I truly do not have words to convey my emotions towards this book。 Synopsis: “Why was AIDS allowed to spread unchecked during the early 1980s while our most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat？ In this brilliant， now classic exposé， Randy Shilts does nothing less than answer this frightening question。” （Book Cover）。 Review: I don’t think I have read a book more frustrating， emotionally draining， and inspirational as And The Band Played On。 （Yes even more than A Little Life）。 I was frustrated at the infighting between scientists who cared more about personal ego and glory than saving lives。 I was furious at gay groups who prioritized their sex lives at bathhouses over decreasing the chance of spreading HIV。 I was speechless at the accounts of Republican government officials taking credit for AIDS research even though they withheld funding from scientists who did the work。 Beyond the anger this book fueled in me， it also brought depressing emotions。 The countless everyday men and women we met who suffered with AIDS was absolutely heartbreaking。 Reading about their lives and eventual illnesses was extremely hard to read。 The beginning of the book focused on the liveliness of the gay community after the momentous Gay Pride movement of the 1970s。 By the end of the book， AIDS had decimated thousands of gay men’s lives。 A whole generation of gay men was lost。 Ironically， this book also made me feel inspired at times。 Seeing stories of men with AIDS using their illness to motivate them to protest and move for change was the ultimate lesson of channeling challenges into action。 Cleve Jones was and continues to be an activist that all should strive to be。 Final Thoughts: This book was extremely relevant given the Coronavirus Pandemic。 Part of the problem with AIDS was the mentality of some gay groups that this virus was a hoax meant to punish gays or stop their gay liberation movement。 It was not。 And because of this ignorant mentality， thousands died。 Please listen to science。 Ignorance is never an excuse。 。。。more
Emily Albers
，
This really should be required reading for anyone looking to understand how the American government can manage to handle an epidemic so disastrously （spoiler alert: not much has changed in 40 years）。 Also should be required for anyone interested in lgbtq history as I can’t think of many other books that do such a thorough job at highlighting the unconscionable bigotry and dehumanization of the gay community。
Brian Burris
，
Fascinating but sad and frustrating account of the early years of the AIDS crisis。Some parallels with the Covid era
Jess
，
Well this is the most depressing book I've ever read。 Brb going to go cry myself to sleep for about a week。。。。 also it's really good。 Full review TK。 Well this is the most depressing book I've ever read。 Brb going to go cry myself to sleep for about a week。。。。 also it's really good。 Full review TK。 。。。more
Andrew Eidelberg
，
An extremely comprehensive and massive undertaking of all aspects of the AIDS epidemic。 This book invokes a variety of emotions， from frustration to anger to hope。 It is a poignant description of how policy， bigotry， and an epidemic of fear led to one of the worst medical disasters in history。There were times when Shilts demonstrated outdated opinions and used non-PC terms and phrases that could be taken as offensive， but I attribute that to the time period this was written。Otherwise， an excelle An extremely comprehensive and massive undertaking of all aspects of the AIDS epidemic。 This book invokes a variety of emotions， from frustration to anger to hope。 It is a poignant description of how policy， bigotry， and an epidemic of fear led to one of the worst medical disasters in history。There were times when Shilts demonstrated outdated opinions and used non-PC terms and phrases that could be taken as offensive， but I attribute that to the time period this was written。Otherwise， an excellent choice。 。。。more
Nashwa S
，
I’m going to shelf this for the time-being。As much as I wanted to enjoy this， the only version I have is the audiobook and it is not working for me。 There’s too much information to keep up with and I would like to make detailed notes。 I’ll wait till I can get my hands on a physical copy of this book。
Kez Hedges
，
Amazing book that I’ll be reading again ❤️
Alex
，
First line: “By October 2， 1985， the morning Rock Hudson died， the word was familiar to almost every household in the Western world。 AIDS。”Last line: “‘He’s not really dead。’”
Ashley Burke
，
If I could rate this over 5 stars， I would。 This should be required reading for high school students。 There’s so much we never knew。 I’m so grateful for Randy Shilts for his dedicated reporting and pure heroism！Sadly， this indifference still manifests today。
Denise
，
Chronicling the early years of the AIDS epidemic day by day， this is an immensely impressive piece of investigative journalism exposing in minute， deeply infuriating detail the politicking， self-interest， indifference and unwillingness to lift a finger of so many while the virus was allowed to spread unchecked。 For years， gay activists， doctors and medical researchers saw what was happening， tried over and over to raise the alarm and obtain funding for desperately needed research and medical car Chronicling the early years of the AIDS epidemic day by day， this is an immensely impressive piece of investigative journalism exposing in minute， deeply infuriating detail the politicking， self-interest， indifference and unwillingness to lift a finger of so many while the virus was allowed to spread unchecked。 For years， gay activists， doctors and medical researchers saw what was happening， tried over and over to raise the alarm and obtain funding for desperately needed research and medical care， only to be ignored by media and politicians whose disinterest was only dispelled when the first big Hollywood star fell victim to the disease they'd all been only to happy to declare not their problem。 First published in 1987， this book remains a powerful and important account that is bound to make its readers sad and extremely angry in equal measure。 。。。more
Beckett Nelson
，
If long reads are your thing then it’s hard to do better than And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts。 Few pieces of literary journalism are as epic and as in-depth as this one。 Shilts leaves very few stones unturned， which is a high compliment when dealing with an issue as complex and wide in scope as the 1980s AIDS crisis。 He brings the AIDS crisis together through politics， medicine， and personal stories。 This is a must read
Crhea
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 新闻摘录集，中文翻译并不很好，主要内容是，同性恋解放运动带来的无节制乱交与政府的消极应对，为艾滋病的传播起到了重要作用
Courtenay
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Infuriating read。 So many people needlessly suffered。 Interesting that Anthony Fauci's poorly -worded interview unintentionally started a panic over being able to catch AIDS from general contact。 I do believe he has vindicated himself for that。I am curious about the documentary "Killing Patient Zero"。 Apparently Gaeten Dugas， or Patient 0， was not actually Patient 0。 He was Patient O （the letter， for being "outside California"）。 It surprising that such an error was made。 There could easily be a Infuriating read。 So many people needlessly suffered。 Interesting that Anthony Fauci's poorly -worded interview unintentionally started a panic over being able to catch AIDS from general contact。 I do believe he has vindicated himself for that。I am curious about the documentary "Killing Patient Zero"。 Apparently Gaeten Dugas， or Patient 0， was not actually Patient 0。 He was Patient O （the letter， for being "outside California"）。 It surprising that such an error was made。 There could easily be a companion piece， since the books ends at the end of the 80s。 Sadly， Randy Shilts died from AIDS too。 。。。more
Devin
，
A reporter with the SF Chronicle， Randy Shilts began covered the AIDS epidemic when there was only a few dozen cases。 This book begins in 1979 and ends with the diganosis of Rock Hudson in 1985， an event which finally shook the national media from their complacency。 This book is ultimately a story of missed opportunities; individuals mysteriously falling ill and dying while the fractious gay political community failed to form an allied response， and the Reagan administration starved the CDC and A reporter with the SF Chronicle， Randy Shilts began covered the AIDS epidemic when there was only a few dozen cases。 This book begins in 1979 and ends with the diganosis of Rock Hudson in 1985， an event which finally shook the national media from their complacency。 This book is ultimately a story of missed opportunities; individuals mysteriously falling ill and dying while the fractious gay political community failed to form an allied response， and the Reagan administration starved the CDC and NIAD of critical funding。This is an invaluable boots-on-the-ground record of this tragic early phase of the epidemic。 It reads like a 600-page magazine article， fast-paced and heavy， and is cleanly labeled with chronology and location to keep you grounded。 Had Shilts not succumbed to AIDS a few years after the book's publication， I believe he likely would have revised or address the portions concerning "Patient Zero" in future editions， as new research became available。 In any event， the most damning sections concern the blood banking industry， who actively resisted testing measures that could have saved hundreds of lives。This book is relentlessly bleak。 I read it in bits-and-pieces over a few months， while juggling lighter material to remain emotionally stable。 I can only imagine this work will remain a touchstone， as writers are no-doubt currently sifting through the missed opportunities and lives lost during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in America。 。。。more
Rachel Dick Plonka
，
This book was an absolute masterpiece。 I have recently been making an effort to read books about pandemics， and this one did not disappoint。 What struck me most about this book is that it wasn’t a book about a virus per se， but more an in depth look at the drama and behind-the-scenes maneuvering that played out during the AIDS epidemic。 This book is about politics more than anything else。 Lack of leadership and incompetence are themes of this deadly saga， and there are so many echoes of this ext This book was an absolute masterpiece。 I have recently been making an effort to read books about pandemics， and this one did not disappoint。 What struck me most about this book is that it wasn’t a book about a virus per se， but more an in depth look at the drama and behind-the-scenes maneuvering that played out during the AIDS epidemic。 This book is about politics more than anything else。 Lack of leadership and incompetence are themes of this deadly saga， and there are so many echoes of this extremely politicized virus today as we muddle through the coronavirus pandemic in 2021。 Randy Shilts is a first-class journalist。 He brings the story of AIDS alive with his compassion， sensitivity， and a clear， unbiased voice。 He has a beautiful and incisive way of writing， and despite his deep emotional connection to the issue at hand （I was saddened to learn that he died of AIDS in 1994， holding off on getting tested for the virus the entire time he was writing the book， so as not to bias or colour his investigative journalism）， he does an incredible job of painting the story of AIDS in a fair， balanced， and nuanced manner。 The blood bank controversy， the bathhouse controversy， an apathetic federal government， and the controversy surrounding the discovery of the virus behind this horrific virus， homophobia， AIDS-speak， and other fascinating facets of this disease were discussed at length。 It was very interesting to read about political figures in the book who are still playing central roles in American politics。 Dianne Feinstein， Anthony Fauci， and Andrew Cuomo’s father Mario all make appearances， some in a more favourable light than others。 Mayor Dianne Feinstein comes across really well in the book。 She seems concerned about the virus and a true friend of the gay community in her city。 She pressured Congress for more AIDS funding and bravely stood up against those opposing the closing of the bathhouses in San Francisco， to varying levels of success。 “Feinstein countered her critics by forthrightly demanding that Silverman ‘have the guts’ to shut the bathhouses before the imminent Gay Freedom Day Parade。 ‘You go to the AIDS Ward and you see young people dying and you feel a strain’ she said。 ‘Dr。 Silverman should take his medical information， make a decision and go with it - not count hands to see what is popular。’” （p。 464）。 This was in response to Dr。 Silverman， the public health director of San Francisco， who after waffling about whether or not to shut the bathhouses， polled a small group of people in a room by a show of hands asking whether or not to do so。 San Francisco eventually became a model for the rest of the country （who for the early years of the pandemic remained in deep denial） for how to deal with the AIDS epidemic。 “That San Francisco had managed the best response to the AIDS epidemic in the United States was the pride of the city; that San Francisco had managed the best response to the AIDS epidemic in the United States measured the shame of the nation” （p。 381）Anthony Fauci comes across less well in the book。 In fact， reading this book made me wonder how a man of such utter incompetence managed to make it as far as he did。 He worked for the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the time。 Based on the headline of an article he hadn’t read， Fauci began a panic and hysteria relating to AIDS that lasted for years and had far-reaching implications。 In an editorial， he made the claim that routine household contact could transmit the virus。 When he was criticized for publishing his editorial with these unfounded claims， “Fauci quickly cast blame on a hysterical media for taking his comments ‘out of context’。。。 the lay public did not understand the language of science， he pleaded。” （p。 300）To me， the bathhouse saga is possibly the most fascinating and emblematic controversy discussed in the book。 It is fascinating that much of the opposition to closing the bathhouses came from inside the gay community。 This was a really thorny public health issue， as any moves to close the bathhouses in San Francisco （which was the model for the rest of the nation） came across as homophobic or moralizing， in addition to being a violation of personal freedoms。 The AIDS virus arrived in the middle of a sexual liberation movement that developed in the gay community。 Many in this community were rightly tired of being told with whom， when， where， and how they could have sex。 Messages of safe sex and reducing promiscuity was not received well， despite the good intentions of those making these public health recommendations。 This quote from a gay newspaper in San Francisco summed up the position of all major gay activists， with the exception of The Harvey Milk Club - “Advice on safe sex， while perhaps well meaning， is actually collaboration with the death regime that delights in blaming ourselves and would pin the blame on us。 The myth of ‘safe sex’ fosters the finger pointing when any one of us does come down with a disease: ‘You see， we told you so。 We brought it on ourselves’” （p。 378）The book also discusses the interesting issue of AIDSspeak。 Part of the reason the virus was so hard to contain had to do with the difficulty of having any frank， honest public health discussion。 The virus became a political issue and was labeled a “gay disease” （a concept that did not come to be in other countries）。 Instead of medical professionals， doctors， and public health experts being able to speak freely and make decisions， they had to answer to activists， lawmakers， politicians， pencil pushers and bureaucrats。 Because the speech around the disease was so policed， everything became shrouded in mystery， and all priority was given to avoiding offending people， rather than saving lives。 There were many， within and without the gay community， who were more concerned with not offending people， than they were about saving lives。 “The linguistic roots of AIDSpeak sprouted not so much from the truth as from what was politically facile and psychologically reassuring。 Semantics was the major denominator of AIDSpeak jargon， because the language went to great lengths to never offend… AIDSpeak was the language of good intentions in the AIDS epidemic; AIDSpeak was the language of death” （p。 315）Shilts includes so many details in this book， but every detail feels necessary to the picture he paints。 In addition to doing an excellent job giving over the facts and minutiae of this epidemic， the author does a phenomenal job of conveying the emotions and feelings of the time。 He captures the fear， pain， confusion， and devastation of this horrific disease。 There are so many sad and beautiful passages in this book about a disease that descended on a community that was already struggling and marginalized。 The heroism and bravery of some of the key players in this saga are also captured。 The reader goes along for the journey and can feel the palpable frustration that many of these activists， doctors， scientists， and politicians faced while trying to save people from this disease that no one seemed to care about until it started affecting heterosexuals and celebrities。 These thoughts from Larry Kramer， a key player in the book， from his visit to Dachau， captures the sentiment well “‘Where the fuck was everybody for eight years？’ he wanted to shout。 ‘They were killing Jews， Catholics， and gays for eight years and nobody did a thing。 In an instant， his fury turned to ice。 He knew exactly how the Nazis could kill for eight years without anyone doing anything。 Nobody cared。 That was what was happening with AIDS。 People were dying， and nobody cared。” （p。 358）There are many subjects I didn’t mention in this review， including the blood bank controversy， the politics surrounding securing funding for research and medicine， and the drama that unfolded between American and French scientists who both claimed to have discovered the virus behind AIDS and more。 I highly recommend this book。 You will learn a lot， not just about the AIDS epidemic， but about politics， about the evolution of the gay community， about homophobia， bureacracies， assumptions， biases， and human nature。 。。。more
Charles
，
A devastating overview of the start of the AIDS/HIV pandemic， not a light read， but well written and researched。
Tali Lerner
，
Great great book。 The journalistic style mixed with the voices of the unknown heroes makes this book a powerful documentary of that time。
Penny Hill
，
This was a slog。 A massively important book and I felt guilty for skimming second half but just could not retain the detail， names， etc Interesting in current pandemic situation。 Politics， discrimination and lack of joined up thinking at heart of the failure to address this epidemic。
Louise Fyffe
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I wanted to compare our current epidemic with another from recent history。。。And I found a lot of interesting comparisons。 Deniers， those who follow the rules， those who are more interested in politics and "human rights" than public health。 This is a good but frustrating and heart breaking read。 There are a lot of decent people in the pages of this book who are thwarted by politics and intrigue。 A lot like our current pandemic the AIDS crisis brought out the best in some， the worst in others。I wo I wanted to compare our current epidemic with another from recent history。。。And I found a lot of interesting comparisons。 Deniers， those who follow the rules， those who are more interested in politics and "human rights" than public health。 This is a good but frustrating and heart breaking read。 There are a lot of decent people in the pages of this book who are thwarted by politics and intrigue。 A lot like our current pandemic the AIDS crisis brought out the best in some， the worst in others。I would recommend this to anyone who is wondering where this current pandemic will end， if it feels like a hopeless situation then the progresses made in the treatments of AIDS may help out this current situation into perspective。 If， like me， you have always had a fear of AIDS due to the opressive ad campaigns of the late 80s then this may help。 Ignorance leads to fear。If you do read this book you will be angry: the blood banks， the ignorant governments， the self serving sex club owners putting profit above public safety， the petty rivalries and intrigues getting in the way of scientific progress。 Oh， wait until you see how the French got screwed over。。。 。。。more
Jill
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10 stars out of 5。First， what an insane and incredible amount of research and reporting。 Shilts builds the chronology of AIDS day by day over a decade from 1976 to 1987。 He weaves together incidents that span from epidemiologists in Zaire to bathhouses in San Francisco to back rooms in the CDC， and how each factors into the big picture。 He is unrelenting in his assessment of how bureaucracy and the culture of scientific research competition ultimately killed thousands of people。 He is a pragmati 10 stars out of 5。First， what an insane and incredible amount of research and reporting。 Shilts builds the chronology of AIDS day by day over a decade from 1976 to 1987。 He weaves together incidents that span from epidemiologists in Zaire to bathhouses in San Francisco to back rooms in the CDC， and how each factors into the big picture。 He is unrelenting in his assessment of how bureaucracy and the culture of scientific research competition ultimately killed thousands of people。 He is a pragmatic and factual guide。 He doesn’t really embellish or sensationalize— the raw presentation of facts is enough to let the reader observe how horrifying。 Second， what an outrageous fucking shitshow。 On every front。 What courage from researchers and doctors who knew it would get so much worse before it got better。 The stamina required is unimaginable。 And from every early HIV positive person who was able to help， and from the gay community despite what they experienced。And third， what a miracle we live in today where HIV positive status is not inherently a death sentence。 I wish so much for a modern edition with a bigger afterword from 1987 to now。Reading about prior pandemics during COVID has helped me frame things for myself， and focus positive energy out to those who are pushing and trying to solve this。 Can’t recommend this book highly enough。 。。。more
Joseph Heeg
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While I will never truly be able to understand the horrors of the AIDS epidemic， this book painted a tragically vivid picture。 I have such a greater appreciation for the multitude of heroes -- gay activists， doctors and angry family members -- who screamed and protested for government support， funding and basic human rights in the early 80s， only to be ignored and silenced again and again。 Countless lives needlessly lost， all because politicians and the media were scared of how discussing the "g While I will never truly be able to understand the horrors of the AIDS epidemic， this book painted a tragically vivid picture。 I have such a greater appreciation for the multitude of heroes -- gay activists， doctors and angry family members -- who screamed and protested for government support， funding and basic human rights in the early 80s， only to be ignored and silenced again and again。 Countless lives needlessly lost， all because politicians and the media were scared of how discussing the "gay disease" would impact their careers。If you're gay， I'd encourage you to read this book， and you'll perhaps better appreciate the rights and available medicine we enjoy today。 If you're critical of how your government has reacted to the Covid-19 epidemic， imagine if the US president took 7 years to finally utter the name publically。 Read this book and put it into perspective。 It's one hell of a ride。 。。。more
Brenda Stedman
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