Reviews
'Virginia Berridge has done an excellent job...AIDS in the UK can be highly recommended not only to all those in Britain who have been concerned with AIDS in the past 15 years but also to everyone who is interested in reading how the United Kingdom has handled the AIDS epidemic until now.'British Medical Journal, 'serves as a model of how contemporary history should be professionally addressed ... it has successfully accumulated evidence from a wide range of sources and respondents in order to recreate the confusion, jealousies, excitement and anxieties of those involved in formulating and implementingAIDS policy ... the book triumphantly reaffirms the relevance of social history to current policy.'Rodney Lowe, Social History Bulletin, 'Her scrupulously gathered (and useful) evidence suggests that governmentstrategy has, in fact, been made by pragmatists, with little regard forideology.'The Guardian, 'Berridge's book is the most exhaustive and persuasive study to date ofpolicy making for the AIDS/HIV epidemic in any country. As a result ofindustrious interviewing and reading over more than half a decade, she and herlate colleague, Phil Strong, acquired extraordinary knowledge of the politics ofpolicy making for the epidemic in the UK ... she makes good use of the researchand analysis of other scholars, crediting them thoroughly in both text andnotes.'Daniel M. Fox, Medical History, Oct. 1997. 41, 'An admirably judicious study, it refuses to identify heroes or villains... the empirical detail is rich and revealing. This is an important andvaluable book.'New Statesman and Society, 'a wide range of sources - including interviews with activists, acaemics, doctors and senior government officials - means that it casts light on a range of issues thrown up by the Aids crisis ... An admirably judicious study ... This is an important and valuable book.'Jeffrey Weeks, New Statesman and Society, 'Her book is coolly written, impressively (but not, as it could so easily be, overwhelmingly) detailed, and judicious throughout. She weaves together strands of science, medicine, policy and culture in a richly worked account of the AIDs years in Britain which will interest anyone who wantsto reflect on the AIDs experience.'Times Higher Education Supplement, 'Carefully and intelligently researched, this analytical and succinctoverview of the evolving perceptions of AIDS constitutes a fundamentalhistorical account and is of contemporary relevance as AIDS policies furtherevolve.'Contemporary British History, 'Berridge's book is the most exhaustive and persuasive study to date of policy making for the AIDS/HIV epidemic in any country. As a result of industrious interviewing and reading over more than half a decade, she and her late colleague, Phil Strong, acquired extraordinary knowledge of thepolitics of policy making for the epidemic in the UK ... she makes good use of the research and analysis of other scholars, crediting them thoroughly in both text and notes.'Daniel M. Fox, Medical History, Oct. 1997. 41, 'Her book is coolly written, impressively (but not, as it could so easilybe, overwhelmingly) detailed, and judicious throughout. She weaves togetherstrands of science, medicine, policy and culture in a richly worked account ofthe AIDs years in Britain which will interest anyone who wants to reflect on theAIDs experience.'Times Higher Education Supplement, 'a wide range of sources - including interviews with activists, acaemics,doctors and senior government officials - means that it casts light on a rangeof issues thrown up by the Aids crisis ... An admirably judicious study ... Thisis an important and valuable book.'Jeffrey Weeks, New Statesman and Society, 'Berridge's skill as a historian has never been shown to better advantage. She steers her way through a mass of diffuse material with the skill of a tightrope walker, always keeping her balance. The result is a work of considerable scholarship which manages to be as riveting as a thriller. Aconsiderable achievement'Irvine Loudon, Journal of Royal Society of Medicine, 'Her scrupulously gathered (and useful) evidence suggests that government strategy has, in fact, been made by pragmatists, with little regard for ideology.'The Guardian, "Well-documented book...Very readable account of a complex of events that have shaped the AIDS policy for Great Britain....An excellent starting point for anyone doing research on the history of the epidemic in any other country. Recommended for all academic libraries."--AIDS Book Review Journal, 'Carefully and intelligently researched, this analytical and succinct overview of the evolving perceptions of AIDS constitutes a fundamental historical account and is of contemporary relevance as AIDS policies further evolve.'Contemporary British History, 'An admirably judicious study, it refuses to identify heroes or villains ... the empirical detail is rich and revealing. This is an important and valuable book.'New Statesman and Society, 'serves as a model of how contemporary history should be professionally addressed ... it has successfully accumulated evidence from a wide range of sources and respondents in order to recreate the confusion, jealousies, excitement and anxieties of those involved in formulating and implementing AIDS policy ... the book triumphantly reaffirms the relevance of social history to current policy.'Rodney Lowe, Social History Bulletin'Carefully and intelligently researched, this analytical and succinct overview of the evolving perceptions of AIDS constitutes a fundamental historical account and is of contemporary relevance as AIDS policies further evolve.'Contemporary British History'An admirably judicious study, it refuses to identify heroes or villains ... the empirical detail is rich and revealing. This is an important and valuable book.'New Statesman and Society'Berridge's skill as a historian has never been shown to better advantage. She steers her way through a mass of diffuse material with the skill of a tightrope walker, always keeping her balance. The result is a work of considerable scholarship which manages to be as riveting as a thriller. A considerable achievement'Irvine Loudon, Journal of Royal Society of Medicine'Virginia Berridge has done an excellent job...AIDS in the UK can be highly recommended not only to all those in Britain who have been concerned with AIDS in the past 15 years but also to everyone who is interested in reading how the United Kingdom has handled the AIDS epidemic until now.'British Medical Journal'a wide range of sources - including interviews with activists, acaemics, doctors and senior government officials - means that it casts light on a range of issues thrown up by the Aids crisis ... An admirably judicious study ... This is an important and valuable book.'Jeffrey Weeks, New Statesman & Society'Her scrupulously gathered (and useful) evidence suggests that government strategy has, in fact, been made by pragmatists, with little regard for ideology.'The Guardian'In the meantime, may I stongly recommend AIDS in the UK by Virginia Berridge - a serious but readable and fair account of the development of AIDS policy in Britain.'The Trust Newsletter'Her book is coolly written, impressively (but not, as it could so easily be, overwhelmingly) detailed, and judicious throughout. She weaves together strands of science, medicine, policy and culture in a richly worked account of the AIDs years in Britain which will interest anyone who wants to reflect on the AIDs experience.'Times Higher Education Supplement'Berridge's book is the most exhaustive and persuasive study to date of policy making for the AIDS/HIV epidemic in any country. As a result of industrious interviewing and reading over more than half a decade, she and her late colleague, Phil Strong, acquired extraordinary knowledge of the politics of policy making for the epidemic in the UK ... she makes good use of the research and analysis of other scholars, crediting them thoroughly in both text andnotes.'Daniel M. Fox, Medical History, Oct. 1997. 41, 'In the meantime, may I stongly recommend AIDS in the UK by VirginiaBerridge - a serious but readable and fair account of the development of AIDSpolicy in Britain.'The Trust Newsletter, 'In the meantime, may I stongly recommend AIDS in the UK by Virginia Berridge - a serious but readable and fair account of the development of AIDS policy in Britain.'The Trust Newsletter
