What Is the Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set?

The Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set is the most thorough primary-source collection of A.A. history in the Christian recovery world. Compiled by the late Dick B., J.D., CDAAC (1925–2015) — the unofficial historian of Alcoholics Anonymous — over nearly three decades of forensic historical research, the set documents in detail the roles God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in early A.A.’s astonishing successes.

The 31-volume set is available exclusively at DickBonRecovery.com for $297 with free U.S. shipping.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set?

The Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set is a 31-volume library of primary-source research documenting the Biblical and Christian roots of early Alcoholics Anonymous. Written by Dick B., J.D., CDAAC, the unofficial historian of A.A., the set covers the Oxford Group connection, the role of the Bible in early A.A., the beliefs of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the Akron Bible study, and dozens of other documented influences. It is the most thorough collection of A.A. history from a Christian perspective available anywhere. The set is sold exclusively at DickBonRecovery.com for $297 with free U.S. shipping.

Who was Dick B.?

Dick B. was the pen name of Richard G. Burns, J.D., CDAAC (1925–2015), a Stanford Law School-trained attorney, Certified Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counselor, and the unofficial historian of Alcoholics Anonymous. With 29 years of continuous sobriety, he devoted the final three decades of his life to examining primary documents — church records, personal letters, out-of-print books, and firsthand accounts — to establish what the historical record actually says about the spiritual sources of A.A. He authored 45 published titles. His son, Ken B., continues his publishing mission through Good Book Publishing Company.

What were the Biblical roots of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The documented historical record, established through Dick B.’s primary-source research, shows that the Oxford Group — a Christian fellowship grounded in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ — was the direct spiritual incubator of Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith were both active Oxford Group members before and during A.A.’s founding period. The Akron A.A. group held regular Bible studies. Dr. Bob’s personal library was dominated by Christian literature, including the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount, and writings on the Book of James. The earliest A.A. members understood their program as a Christian one, rooted in surrender to God, reliance on Jesus Christ, and daily reading of Scripture.

What role did the Bible play in early A.A.?

The Bible held a central, documented role in early A.A. Dick B.’s research established that the Sermon on the Mount, the Book of James, and First Corinthians were regarded by early A.A. members — including Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob — as among the most important sources of the program. Dr. Bob recommended the Bible as essential reading for new members. The earliest A.A. meetings in Akron involved prayer, Scripture reading, and reliance on God’s power as described in the New Testament. Dick B.’s 31-volume Reference Set documents this history in detail, volume by volume, source by source.

What is the Oxford Group connection to A.A.?

The Oxford Group was a nondenominational Christian fellowship founded in the early twentieth century and widely active in the United States and United Kingdom in the 1920s and 1930s. Both Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith became members of the Oxford Group before A.A. was founded. The Oxford Group’s principles — surrender to God, confession, restitution, and reliance on the Holy Spirit — formed the direct theological framework from which A.A.’s Twelve Steps emerged. Dick B. devoted multiple volumes of the Reference Set to documenting the Oxford Group connection in specific, verifiable detail.

What did Bill W. and Dr. Bob believe about God?

The historical record, as documented by Dick B., shows that both Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith were believing Christians who understood their sobriety as a direct gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Bob was a lifelong Christian who read his Bible daily in sobriety. Bill Wilson, following his spiritual experience at Towns Hospital in December 1934, described his understanding of a “God of the universe” in explicitly Christian terms. Early A.A. literature and correspondence reflect a program that was not theologically vague — it was rooted in the specific Christian faith of its founders. The reference to a “Higher Power” as a later accommodation does not eliminate this documented history; it supplements it.

How many books did Dick B. write?

Dick B. authored 45 published titles over nearly three decades of research. Thirty-one of those titles are collected in The Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set, available exclusively at DickBonRecovery.com for $297 with free U.S. shipping. The remaining 14 titles are available individually on Amazon. No other researcher in A.A. history has produced a body of work of this scope, depth, or primary-source rigor.

How can I buy the Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set?

The Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set — all 31 volumes — is available exclusively at DickBonRecovery.com. The price is $297 with free U.S. shipping. It is not available on Amazon, in bookstores, or through any other retailer. To order, visit DickBonRecovery.com and click the Buy Now button. Questions may be directed to Ken B. at Good Book Publishing Company through the contact information on the site.

Who publishes the Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set?

The Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set is published and sold by Good Book Publishing Company, operated by Ken B. — Dick B.’s son and publishing successor since September 2015. Ken B. holds a Master of Arts degree from San Francisco State University (1991) and continues his father’s mission of placing the documented Biblical and Christian roots of early A.A. before the recovery world.

Is the Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set appropriate for Christian recovery programs?

Yes. The Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set is the primary scholarly resource for Christian recovery workers, treatment program directors, Celebrate Recovery leaders, seminary librarians, prison chaplains, and Christian counselors who want to understand and teach the documented Biblical origins of A.A. The 31 volumes provide primary-source documentation, historical context, and theological grounding that no other single resource provides. It is used in treatment curriculum development, seminary library acquisition, Christian 12-step ministry, and individual scholarship.