Book: And The Band Played On... by Randy Shilts
Whew, I finally finished this beast! When I started looking for big name books in the LGBT literary world, I kept seeing Randy Shilts' "And the Band Played On...". The book itself deals with the details of the first five years of the AIDS crisis in the States. Obviously, not something for the faint of heart.
This 600 page behemoth does its best to explain how prejudice, denial, arrogance, politics, and apathy led to the unnecessary deaths of thousands upon thousands of people. I don't think I've been more angry reading a book in my life.
Shilts was a reporter in San Francisco and did a lot of interviewing during the time period this book was written. Obviously, some beliefs about the disease (i.e. the notorious Patient Zero theory) have shifted since the book was originally published. However, nearly all of the hard facts and reporting remain true thirty years later.
If you have any interest in AIDS or the triumphs and struggles of the gay community in the States, I couldn't recommend the book more. The book heavily focuses on AIDS in the gay community, only touching on the hemophiliac, IV drug user, and poor urban communities. So if your interest in AIDS lies in its relationship with those communities, just be aware of what you're getting into. I think it's important to read nonetheless, though.
I found a few other reviews of the book that do a much better job of summarizing than I do, and you can check those out here.
This 600 page behemoth does its best to explain how prejudice, denial, arrogance, politics, and apathy led to the unnecessary deaths of thousands upon thousands of people. I don't think I've been more angry reading a book in my life.
Shilts was a reporter in San Francisco and did a lot of interviewing during the time period this book was written. Obviously, some beliefs about the disease (i.e. the notorious Patient Zero theory) have shifted since the book was originally published. However, nearly all of the hard facts and reporting remain true thirty years later.
If you have any interest in AIDS or the triumphs and struggles of the gay community in the States, I couldn't recommend the book more. The book heavily focuses on AIDS in the gay community, only touching on the hemophiliac, IV drug user, and poor urban communities. So if your interest in AIDS lies in its relationship with those communities, just be aware of what you're getting into. I think it's important to read nonetheless, though.
I found a few other reviews of the book that do a much better job of summarizing than I do, and you can check those out here.