A.A.'s New History Resources Just Keep Coming!

Alcoholics Anonymous History was, for many years, a mystery. Bill Wilson wrote one book--the Big Book--four years after A.A. was founded in 1935. It scarcely mentioned the original A.A. program and certainly did not describe it--except in the personal stories that were primarily written by Akron people. And those stories were, piece by piece, removed through the years. Dr. Bob scarcely wrote anything. Bill went into a deep depression from which he did not emerge until the mid- 1950's when, with the aid of two priests and one other man, he put together A.A. Comes of Age and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. A.A. Comes of Age is a valuable tool, but it was written and published after Dr. Bob's death; and once again the early program, its roots, history, founders, founding, and Akron Christian Fellowship went all but unmentioned. And so much for eye witness A.A. history.

Gradually things changed. Bill, some staff people, and others hired by A.A. began piecing research and history together, but it was still not interconnected with the various streams; and it certainly did not cover the many roots and influences on the real twelve step program of old school A.A., of the Christian origins of the previous century, of the Bible--Anne Smith--Literature--Quiet Time--Oxford Group--Shoemaker--Jung--James--and of the Akron Christian Fellowship, and its successes. See Dick B., Real Twelve Step History (www.realhistory.com).

Beginning perhaps in the late 1970's when the principals were fading away, biographies and histories and research began. By 1990 a large number of new historians came on the scene, along with a host of archivists. Also, the publishing houses like Hazelden, Fleming Revell, the Oxford Group itself, and Zondervan began to market all sorts of pieces and biographies. But there was competition, inaccuracy, acrimony, and inadequacy because the research and writing were neither coordinated or in agreement. Then with the dawn of the new century, things changed for the better. Stay tuned!

Things changed with the oncoming new century. And we'll continue that story