The Blooming of Better A.A. History Resources after 2000

This article will be short because the resources are numerous. Many will be discussed at our forthcoming "Stick with the Winners!" Meetings and Conferences May 15-21 in Orange County, Calfironia. Many are discussed in our new Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, "Stick with the Winners!" Guide, new additions in my total of 44 books and over 1000 articles, biographies, histories, and essays--all the result of additional research and writing.

Still, the full story has yet to be published. The closest I've seen recently is a "Pre A.A. History" written by Bob S. of Indiana. It is filled with photos, interlaced information, and useful history. But it lacks the details of A.A.'s roots, of the childhood of the cofounders, of the sources like the Oxford Group, Rev. Sam Shoemaker, Anne Smith, the Bible, the Christian literature, the actual old school program, the First Century  Christianity parallels, how the first three got sober, and the missing links about decisions for Jesus Christ by Rowland Hazard, Ebby Thacher, and Bill Wilson; the "Great Physician" advice of Dr. Silkworth, the conversion to God through Jesus Christ that took place at Calvary Rescue Mission, Bill's testimony in writing that he had been born again, the extraordinary blazing "indescribably white light" experience by Bill at Towns Hospital where Bill believed he was in the presence of "the God of the Scriptures," and the essence of "The Solution" and a proper description of it as phrased by Bill Wilson in his Big Book, and even more.

In my judgment, it is now coming together because various different people who have their own special interest, research, and expertise are either mutually contributing to or wisely using as a basis the work of other diligent writers.

The internet explosion has made the search for resources a whole new ball game. The exchange of views and evidence has been facilitated. And we hope to make practical use of all of these. forthcoming