History & item details
For many A.A. members, the Big Book is a familiar companion. The people, disagreements, and decisions that brought it into print are less familiar—and every bit as compelling. In Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A., William H. Schaberg takes readers inside the eighteen months leading to the publication of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939, when a young fellowship was working to put its experience into words that could reach someone it might never meet.
The story behind the pages
Drawing on eleven years of research and writing, Schaberg follows the personalities and practical challenges behind A.A.’s foundational text. Bill Wilson is central to the story, but he did not work alone. The book also explores the often-overlooked contribution of Hank Parkhurst and the differing views that helped shape the finished work.
For readers who have wondered how the Big Book moved from an idea to a published volume, this history offers a closer connection to its beginnings. It invites us to see the people behind a familiar text: their determination, their differences, and the work of creating a book intended to carry a message beyond the fellowship’s earliest circles.
A revised, corrected & enlarged second edition
Published by Recovery Speakers Books, this second edition brings together revisions, corrections, and additions made since the original 2019 publication. It includes all ten original appendices, giving readers the supporting material alongside the narrative.
Whether you are discovering Schaberg’s work for the first time or returning to it with an interest in the expanded edition, this is a rewarding addition to a recovery-history bookshelf—and a thoughtful choice for someone who wants to understand more about the creation of the book that means so much to them.
Book details
- Title: Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A.
- Author: William H. Schaberg
- Edition: Second Edition—Revised, Corrected & Enlarged
- Publisher: Recovery Speakers Books, the publishing imprint of Recovery Speakers
- Format: Paperback
- Language: English
- ISBN: 979-8-9821203-0-4
- Includes: All ten original appendices
Coming soon. Release and ordering details will be announced when confirmed.
