Randy Shilts

Randy Shilts was an American journalist and author. He worked as a reporter for both The Advocate and the San Francisco Chronicle. Shilts was one of the first openly gay journalists to work in the mainstream press, and he played a crucial role in reporting on the AIDS epidemic in the United States during the 1980s. His most famous works include 'And the Band Played On', which documented the early history of AIDS, and 'Conduct Unbecoming', which examined discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in the military.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. And the Band Played On

    This book is a comprehensive chronicle of the emergence of the AIDS epidemic in the United States in the 1980s. It explores how the disease was initially ignored by many health professionals and politicians, leading to its spread and the deaths of thousands of people. The book also examines the impact of the disease on the gay community and the role of various institutions, including the medical community, the media, and the government, in responding to the crisis. It's a powerful critique of the indifference and negligence that allowed the disease to become a global pandemic.