Bill W. by Robert Thomsen Set - Uncorrected Proof & First Printing

Bill W. by Robert Thomsen

The Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Co-Founder Bill Wilson

First Printing · 1975 · Hardcover with Original Dust Jacket

Includes Uncorrected Proof / Advance Review Copy (Pre-Publication)

Overview

Offered here is a collectible two-piece Robert Thomsen set documenting one of the earliest major posthumous biographies of Bill Wilson: the First Printing (1975) hardcover of Bill W. with its original dust jacket, paired with an Uncorrected Proof (advance review copy) circulated before publication.

Published only four years after Bill W.’s death in 1971, Thomsen’s biography was among the first full-length, independent treatments devoted entirely to Bill’s life and the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. Thomsen, a respected journalist and author, drew on interviews, recollections, and access to A.A. sources to present a detailed human portrait—Vermont beginnings, early ambition, collapse into alcoholism, spiritual turning point, and the formation of A.A. with Dr. Bob.

What makes this offering especially interesting for collectors is the inclusion of the uncorrected proof—the “workshop” stage of the book before final editing and production. Proofs are scarce by nature, and this one preserves clear evidence of its original circulation: Robert Thomsen wrote a return instruction on the first page, “Chaney Please Return,” and the reviewer’s address label for Mr. Beverly Chaney remains affixed. Together, the proof and the finished first printing form a satisfying archive pair: draft-to-publication.

Historical Significance

Bill W. occupies an important place in A.A. literature as one of the earliest major biographies written close enough to A.A.’s founding era to draw on firsthand voices and transitional memory. For many readers, this book marked the first time Bill’s story was told in a broader narrative form outside A.A.-published materials, and it helped shape later biographical and historical treatments of A.A.’s origins.

Book Details (First Printing)

Title: Bill W.

Author: Robert Thomsen

Publisher: Harper & Row

Publication Date: 1975

Edition: First Printing

Binding: Hardcover

Dust Jacket: Original dust jacket present

Proof Details (Advance Review Copy)

Format: Uncorrected Proof / Advance Review Copy (pre-publication)

Notable markings: “Chaney Please Return” (author instruction)

Label: Reviewer address label for Mr. Beverly Chaney

Additional note: Thomsen marker notes on proof cover (as shown)

Condition

First Printing book: Very good condition overall. Minor wear consistent with age. No writing, highlighting, or markings. Binding firm and pages clean.

First Printing dust jacket: Original jacket present with light general wear.

Uncorrected proof: Very good condition for a proof. Light wear to paper cover consistent with handling. Interior clean aside from the author routing note and the reviewer label.

Please review all photos carefully to assess exact condition.

Collector Notes

First printings of Bill W. with original dust jackets are increasingly desirable on their own. Adding a matching uncorrected proof with clear evidence of reviewer circulation elevates this into a more complete “publication history” set—ideal for A.A. collectors who like primary-source ephemera and uncommon variants.

A foundational Bill W. biography—offered here in a rare paired format: proof + first printing.