Upon it's first publication twenty years ago, "And The Band Played" on was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of investigatve 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.

Reviews

"Shilts successfully weaves comprehensive investigative reporting and commercial page-turning pacing, political intrigue, and personal tragedy into a landmark book . . . Its importance cannot be overstated." -Publishers Weekly

"Rivals in power and intensity, and in the brilliance of its reporting and writing, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood."--The Boston Globe

"In one of the most important books of the year, Shilts, who has been covering the AIDS crisis since 1981, sets a gripping narrative of human tragedy against a background of political and scientific controversy. His implication: the AIDS epidemic in the United States might have been averted had it not been for resistance from the government, scientists, the media, and the gay community. Shilts has the ability to draw the reader hypnotically into the personal lives of his characters. That, and his monumental investigative effort, would have made this a best-selling novelif the contents weren't so horribly true. Highly recommended." Library Journal

"A monumental history." -The Washington Post Book World

"The most thorough, comprehensive exploration of the AIDS epidemic to date . . . It is fascinating, frightening, and essential reading." -San Francisco Sentinel   "A heroic work of journalism."--The New York Times