Books › How to Survive a Plague
How to Survive a Plague
The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
656 pages
An urgent, intimately reported chronicle of the fierce defiance and grassroots science that fought back against a devastating epidemic.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing on the front lines of a desperate, righteous battle for survival. It is a propulsive and deeply intimate experience, immersing the reader in an atmosphere of harrowing grief that is continually pierced by fierce, unyielding defiance. The prose balances expansive historical authority with rich, character-driven detail, capturing the urgency of a marginalized community forced to become their own saviors. As the narrative moves from the dark early days of systemic apathy to the founding of radical activist groups and underground networks, the emotional texture shifts from despair to a hard-won, triumphant momentum. It will profoundly move readers who gravitate toward immersive, insider accounts of civil rights struggles, grassroots activism, and the extraordinary power of collective action.
- Mood
- harrowing
- defiant
- grief-stricken
- triumphant
- Tone
- urgent
- intimate
- righteous
- authoritative
- heroic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- activism and resistance · medical advocacy · fighting systemic apathy · community survival · civil rights struggles
- The writing
- Intimately reported and richly detailed, blending expansive historical scope with deeply personal, character-driven storytelling.
- The arc
- Moves from devastating loss and societal abandonment to fierce, organized defiance and ultimately a hard-won, lifesaving triumph.
- Who it's for
- Readers who seek immersive, character-driven histories of social justice, civil rights, and grassroots activism.
Content notes
- terminal illness
- grief and loss
- systemic homophobia
- medical trauma
About the book
"From the creator of and inspired by the seminal documentary of the same name--an Oscar nominee--the definitive history of the successful battle to halt the AIDS epidemic, and the powerful, heroic stories of the gay activists who refused to die without a fight. Intimately reported, this is the story of the men and women who, watching their friends and lovers fall, ignored by public officials, religious leaders, and the nation at large, and confronted with shame and hatred, chose to fight for their right to live. We witness the founding of ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group), the rise of an underground drug market in opposition to the prohibitively expensive (and sometimes toxic) AZT, and the gradual movement toward a lifesaving medical breakthrough. With his unparalleled access to this community David France illuminates the lives of extraordinary characters, including the closeted Wall Street trader-turned-activist; the high school dropout who found purpose battling pharmaceutical giants in New York; the South African physician who helped establish the first officially recognized buyers' club at the height of the epidemic; and the public relations executive fighting to save his own life for the sake of his young daughter. Expansive yet richly detailed, this is an insider's account of a pivotal moment in the history of American civil rights"--
"A history of AIDS activism in New York in the early years of the plague"--
Description from Open Library.
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