And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts
And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a nonfiction book written by San Francisco Chronicle journalist Randy Shilts, published in 1987. It chronicles the discovery and spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) with a special emphasis on government indifference and political infighting—specifically in the United States—to what was initially perceived as a gay disease.
The national bestseller is now a major HBO TV movie, with stars including Alan Alda, Richard Gere, Lily Tomlin and Angelica Houston. "A heroic work of journalism on what must rank as one of the foremost catastrophes of modern history" (New York Times), this extraordinary book reveals how the federal government put budget considerations ahead of the nation's welfare. (Penguin)