BILL W. by Francis Hartigan
Editorial review from Booklist magazine states:
Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson had his first alcoholic drink in the army in World War I and his last in December 1935. Meanwhile, he had nearly destroyed his capacity to work, his marriage, and his life. Drawing on interviews with Bill's widow, Lois, and others prominent in AA history, Hartigan distinguishes between Bill's private and public lives. He reveals that Bill's womanizing was so bad that AA colleagues set up a Founder's Watch Committee to steer Bill away from women he was about to get involved with; and he treats Bill's attacks of depression and Lois' efforts to keep him away from booze at length. The book also covers the extreme financial hardships Lois and Bill endured and about Bill's public persona, Hartigan recounts the hot flash experience that stopped his drinking and his policy that reformed alcoholics must help other drunks if they are to maintain their own sobriety. In addition, Hartigan covers AA's radiation from its Akron, Ohio, origins; the development of the 12 steps; the writing and publication of AA's famed Big Book; and AA's controversies in considerable detail. All-in-all, this is a book that I found hard to put down.
Pub. St. Martin's Press, 2000 stated 1st edition, 1st printing, 237 pages, hardback in grey cloth board Retail price at $24.95.
Table of Contents Bill W by Francis Hartigan Acknowledgments ix A Word on Anonymity xiii Introduction: The Poster Boy 1 In This Corner 9 Powering Up 17 Trying Harder 24 It's Over 29 Loyalty Beyond Measure 35 On the Street 41 Different 49 Changed 57 What was It? 63 The Crusaders 70 A New Man 74 The Meeting 81 The Manager 87 Two Programs 94 Impoverishment 101 Spreading the News 113 Works Publishing 118 From Manuscript to Book 125 Alone 133 Renewal 140 Settling In 149 The Blackness Returns 160 Spiritual Explorations 174 The Steps Revisited 184 The Other Woman 190 Expanding Horizons 198 Where to Find Help 213 Appendix 216 Bibliography 218 Index 231ISBN: 0312200560
Subtitle: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Co-Founder Bill Wilson
Author: Hartigan, Francis
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press
Subject: Twelve-Step Programs
Subject: Historical - U.S.
Subject: Specific Groups - Special Needs
Subject: Biography Subject: Alcoholism
Subject: Alcoholics
Subject: United states
Subject: Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism
Edition Number: 1st ed.
Edition Description: Includes bibliographical references and index
. Publication Date: March 2000
Binding: Trade Cloth
Language: English
Illustrations: Yes
Pages: 256
Dimensions: 949x645x97 120