An international bestseller and winner of the Stonewall Award, which inspired an award-winning film. "A heroic work of journalism that must rank among the foremost disasters of modern history." The New York Times

"Amazing ... An impressively researched and richly detailed narrative." TIME

Randy Shilts was the first openly gay journalist to cover gay issues for the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1981, the year AIDS came to international attention, he immediately dedicated himself to reporting on the burgeoning epidemic, which devastated his community and ultimately took his life.

Shilts interviewed over 1,000 people, weaving together extensive research in the form of personal stories and political reporting. He was ideally positioned to understand the cultural, medical, and political impact of the disease on both the LGBTQ+ community and American society as a whole.

And the Band Played On reveals why AIDS was allowed to spread while medical and political authorities ignored and even denied the threat. This book remains one of the greatest works of contemporary journalism and provides a basis for ongoing discussions about governmental failure in managing deadly epidemics.

Pages: 656, Year of Publication: 0415, Dimensions: 12.8x12.8cm