AIDS and Contemporary History

The advent of AIDS has led to a revival of interest in the historical relationship of disease to society. Now, after ten years, there is a new consciousness of AIDS and history, and of AIDS itself as an historic event. This is the starting-point of this new collection of essays. Its twin themes are the 'pre-history' of the impact of AIDS, and its subsequent history. The section on the 'pre-history' of AIDS includes articles which analyse the contexts against which AIDS should be measured. The second section - on AIDS as history - presents chapters by historians and policy scientists on such topics as British and US drugs policy, the later years of AIDS policies in the UK and the development of AIDS as a political issue in France. A final chapter looks at the archival potential in the AIDS area. As a whole the volume demonstrates the contribution which historians can make in the analysis of near-contemporary events.