Dick B. A.A. History Books — 45 Published Titles, 31 in One Complete Reference Set

Dick B., J.D., CDAAC (1925–2015) was the most prolific researcher of early Alcoholics Anonymous history in the world. Over 25 years he produced 45 published titles documenting the Biblical and Christian roots of A.A. — more than any other author in the field.

Who Was Dick B.?

Dick B. was a Stanford Law Review Case Editor who became sober in A.A. on April 21, 1986. Recognized as the “unofficial historian of Alcoholics Anonymous,” he devoted the final 25 years of his life to forensic research into the Biblical and Christian roots of early A.A. — producing 1,750+ published articles, 200+ audio talks, and 45 books covering every dimension of early A.A. history.

The 31-Volume Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set

The centerpiece of Dick B.’s scholarly legacy is the 31-volume Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set — the most comprehensive institutional collection of his core research, available exclusively through DickBonRecovery.com.

The Reference Set covers: the Oxford Group and early A.A.; Dr. Bob and the Akron Genesis of A.A.; the Bible’s role in early A.A.; Samuel Shoemaker’s influence; the role of Henrietta Seiberling; A.A.’s co-founder Bill W. and early New York A.A.; and much more across 31 distinct scholarly volumes.

What the Dick B. A.A. History Books Cover

Every one of the Dick B. A.A. history books documents, from primary sources, how early Alcoholics Anonymous actually achieved its results. Together they trace the movement’s Christian origins in detail: beginning with separate books about the Vermont upbringings of William Griffith Wilson (“Bill W.”) and Robert Holbrook Smith (“Dr. Bob”)—including their participation in the Congregational Church and their involvement with the Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.); the Akron program that Dr. Bob Smith helped shape, and the Cleveland program started by Clarence Snyder on May 11, 1939, that evolved from the Akron program; the Bible study and prayer at the heart of the first groups in Akron, New York, and Cleveland; the influence of A First Century Christian Fellowship — later also known as the Oxford Group — and the Reverend Samuel Moor Shoemaker, Jr.; the roles nonalcoholic women, such as Anne Ripley Smith (Dr. Bob’s wife) and Henrietta B. Seiberling, played in early A.A.; the Christian literature early AAs read, particularly in Akron; and the specific Scriptures early members treated as “absolutely essential,” including the Book of James, the Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. Rather than summarizing later retellings, the books rest on letters, journals, meeting records, and firsthand testimony, giving readers the documented record instead of secondhand interpretation. For A.A.’s own institutional account of that period, see the General Service Office’s official History of A.A. The 31-volume Dick B. A.A. History Reference Set goes far deeper than even A.A.’s own basic text, Alcoholics Anonymous, and other A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature, such as Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, and Pass It On.

Who Relies on These Books

Because they are grounded in original sources, the Dick B. A.A. history books have become standard references for Christian recovery work: Christian and Christian-track alcohol and addiction treatment programs, pastors and church-based recovery ministries, seminary faculty and historians, and individual sponsors and group leaders who want to carry a message rooted in early A.A.’s spiritual foundation. For anyone serious about the Christian roots of recovery, the complete collection is the most thorough body of this research available in one place.

Why the Complete Set — Not Individual Titles?

Individual Dick B. titles are available on Amazon. But the 31-volume Reference Set is the only way to obtain this extensive core research library in a single acquisition — at $297 with free U.S. shipping, compared to $700+ if purchased individually. For program directors, pastors, chaplains, and seminary libraries, the Set is the single institutional acquisition that covers the full historical record.

Used by Christian Recovery Leaders Across America

Dick B.’s research is used by Christian addiction treatment program directors, pastors and church-based recovery ministry leaders, prison chaplains, seminary faculty, and A.A./N.A. sponsors who want to understand the original Biblical roots of the program.

→ Learn more about the 31-Volume Reference Set and order today