Simon Garfield was born in London in 1960. He is the author of an appealingly diverse and unpredictable canon of non-fiction, including the bestsellers Mauve, Just My Type and On The Map. He is a trustee of Mass Observation, and is the editor of several books of diaries from the archive, including Our Hidden Lives and A Notable Woman. His study of Aids in Britain, The End of Innocence, won the Somerset Maugham Prize, while To The Letter was one of the inspirations for the theatre shows Letters Live. His most recent book is Dog's Best Friend: A Brief History of an Unbreakable Bond.
A superb account . . . A strongly gripping, essential read. -- Pink Paper Impressive . . . Garfield recognises the power of dramatising the story in human terms. -- Guardian This is our And the Band Played On. Enlivened by telling interviews with health educators, doctors, AIDS activists, social workers, government ministers, and those directly affected - there's something for everyone here: pragmatism, incompetence, denial, bigotry, bravery, humour, guilt and some optimism. -- Arena A powerful and painful book. Indispensable and instructive . . . Garfield gives us the whole story in a voice which is passionately intent, but controlled and conversational. -- Observer An indispensable book, essential to an understanding of the times we -- the lucky ones -- lived through. -- Simon Callow