Reviews with content warning for Death - Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993

This book feels like it is trying to be several different books at once. It's a sprawling collection of individual choices from the first decade of the AIDS crisis, and also a factual and very detailed history of ACT UP, and also a collection of old grievances the author wants to clear the air about.

Any one of those would probably be a better book. Or maybe a three-volume collection.

As it is, my reading experience was feeling bogged down and frustrated, then briefly astonished, then overwhelmed with details I didn't want while annoyed by missing details I did want, then moved nearly to tears, then annoyed again.

If you want to know about AIDS or gay history, if you want to change the world through activism, if you've ever been inspired or frustrated by how people work in groups, you probably do need this book. Just know that you're going to have to be patient with this book.

Don't skip the appendix. The collection of old ACT UP newsletters was absolutely delightful.

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informative medium-paced

5.0

-best history of aids book i’ve ever read

-it’s very focused on ny (for obvious reasons) but starts with schulmann emphasizing current problems with hiv/aids in the US and doesn’t in any way say that AIDS is over which i really respect

-the teaching how to be a movement and informing strategy parts are also great

-the years of archival work and materials make this a much deeper and fuller picture of ACTUP rather than focusing on a few big personalities so many of the individuals and their contributions are really fleshed out such as how affinity groups worked and how legal observers and lawyers played an important role beyond the organizing alone

-the portions on needle exchange were a highlight for sure

-had been waiting for this book for about a decade when i first discovered the ACTUP oral history project

-so glad she didnt shy away from the conflict and split or the uglier parts of the group (like theft of funds or racism and sexism within the group)

-also incredibly glad there was a whole section for political funerals which are often a footnote or short paragraph in most other ACTUP histories

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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beccaruthe's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I don’t normally add a text review but this book was astonishing. Definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. If anyone is interested in activism, and specifically direct action activism, they should read this book. If anyone is interested in healthcare, specifically community and public health, they should read this book. If anyone wants to better understand what it was like at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, they should read this book. I cannot say enough good things about it. I listened to the audio book version and because it tells the stories of so many people, it can been a little hard to get used to changing tenses and following who is speaking at a specific time, but don’t let that stop you from reading it because it is worth it. I work at a health library and will be recommending that we purchase it.

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