An examination of the AIDS crisis critiques the federal government for its inaction, health authorities for their greed, and scientists for their desire for prestige in the face of the AIDS pandemic, in a twentieth anniversary edition of the acclaimed exposé. 

Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 607-613) and index.

Dramatis personae -- The bureaucracy -- Prologue -- pt. I. Behold, a pale horse : The feast of the hearts -- pt. II. Before/1980 : Glory days ; Beaches of the dispossessed ; Foreshadowing ; Freeze frames -- pt. III. Paving the road/1981 : Critical mass ; Good intentions ; The prettiest one ; Ambush poppers ; Golf courses of science ; Bad moon rising -- pt. IV. The gathering darkness/1982 : Enemy time ; Patient zero ; Bicentennial memories ; Nightsweats ; Too much blood ; Entropy ; Running on empty ; Forced feeding ; Dirty secrets ; Dancing in the dark -- pt. V. Battle lines/January-June 1983 : Let it bleed ; Midnight confessions ; Denial ; Anger ; The big enchilada ; Turning points ; Only the good ; Priorities ; Meanwhile ; AIDSpeak spoken here ; Star quality -- Pt, VI. Rituals/July-December 1983 : Marathons ; Just another day ; Politics ; Science ; Public health ; Journalism ; People -- pt. VII. Lights & Tunnels/1984 : Prisoners ; Bargaining ; The feast of the hearts, part II ; Squeeze play ; Traitors ; Political science ; Downbound train ; Republicans and Democrats ; Embarrassed ; Depression ; The war -- pt. VIII. Butcher's Bill/1985 : Heterosexuals ; Exiles ; Reckoning ; Exposed ; Awakening ; Acceptance ; Endgame -- pt. IX. Epilogue/after : Reunion ; The feast of the hearts, part III.