And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS EpidemicAnd the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
Score Classic
What it's about
Randy Shilts, a San Francisco reporter, tells the story of the first five years of the AIDS epidemic, from the first strange cases in 1980 until the actor Rock Hudson's death in 1985 finally made the country pay attention. He follows doctors, researchers, activists and patients, and he shows how government indifference, scientific rivalry, media silence and politics let the virus spread.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and remains the classic account of the early AIDS crisis. It's angry, detailed and deeply human.
You'll love it if you liked
The Great Believers
The Hot Zone
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human PandemicGood to know
It's long, with many characters. Its portrait of a flight attendant as 'Patient Zero' has since been shown to be wrong, and he was not the source of the American epidemic. Shilts himself died of AIDS in 1994.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics69 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and remains the classic account of the early AIDS crisis. It ranks #170 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 84.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic about?
Randy Shilts, a San Francisco reporter, tells the story of the first five years of the AIDS epidemic, from the first strange cases in 1980 until the actor Rock Hudson's death in 1985 finally made the country pay attention. He follows doctors, researchers, activists and patients, and he shows how government indifference, scientific rivalry, media silence and politics let the virus spread.
How long does it take to read And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic?
About 16 hours (656 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic?
If you liked it, try The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston or Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen.