And the Band Played on: Politics, People, and the AIDS EpidemicUpon its first publication twenty years ago, And The Band Played On was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of investigative 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 80s while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat. One of the few true modern classics, it