" By the time Rock Hudson’s death in 1985 alerted the nation, AIDS had killed thousands. How was the epidemic allowed to spread so far before it was taken seriously? Shilts pins down every evasion and contradiction of the medical, political, and media establishments to tell the story of the 20th century’s greatest health crisis. Now a major TV movie starring Alan Alda, Richard Gere, Lily Tomlin and Angelica Huston, this national best-seller reveals how the government put budget considerations ahead of the nation’s welfare. 656 pp. "