Bill W.: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Bill Wilson

I just finished Mr. Hartigans biography of Bill Wilson. I thought it was well researched and well written. I found it amazing that someone could be so dysfunctional in the first half of his life and yet display great organizational skills in his later years. I have never had the misfortune to need AA but this book helped me to understand those who do. I would highly recommend this fine biography.

Having read all of the "authorized" and "official" biographies of Bill W. I find this one refreshing in its candor and revealing an unsanitized report of the truth. Though Bill was one of the co-founders of AA, most reports of his story left out the human part of him and helped in continuing the myths.Mr. Hartigan did an excellent job in researching through the original documents and relying upon the oral history of who Bill really was. Having known Lois and doing my own research through original documents, I have found the sanitized versions of AA history quite lacking through obfuscation of accurate historical facts.Negative reviews coming from those who prefer the sainthood of Bill W. to the actual facts presented in this work will surely continue. These people who look upon any revealing of the truth as an attack on their idol prefer to denegrate the works of those who reveal the truth. The historians and archivists who have had the opportunity to read the original documents and who have heard from those who were there know better. More books revealing the truth will only serve to make AA stronger. After all, rigorous honesty is a part of AA's principles. Myths and legends make nice reading but the truth makes it all the more rewarding in the long run.If one prefers the official party line and wants to read something that is less than reality this book will not be what they seek. However, if one is seeking the truth and chooses not to rely upon contempt prior to investigation - Mr. Hartigan's biography of Bill will be very informative.

Finally we have the definitive biography of a man to whom countless millions owe their lives. Not only alcoholics, but the wives, children, and other family members of alcoholics should read this excellent narrative of the life of Bill Wilson, co-founder of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. Hartigan's incisive style, and the book's compact but continually fascinating treatment of Wilson's personal struggle which finally brought forth the fruit of the original and most successful 12 Step recovery program, is easy to read, well documented, at times painfully truthful, yet faithful to the reality of who this great man was. Long overdue, this book fills the void which unfortunately was left by the previous effort of Robert Thompson. Unlike the previous volume, Hartigan's volume is thoroughly documented with a valuable bibliography and a full index. Every alcoholic on the planet should read this text and realize that the co-founder was just as human as they and suffered through the disease and the recovery just as they do. Well-done, Mr. Hartigan.

This is a wonderful biography of one of the century's greatest individuals. I have never before seen such a full treatment of his contributions to Alcoholics Anonymous, or such a well-rounded portrayal of Bill Wilson as a person. His personal problems make the sacrifices he made to start AA and all the years he stayed with it to see it become internationally recognized all the more remarkable. Francis Hartigan's well-rounded, highly readable book truly brought Wilson alive for me.

Hartigan's new bio of Bill W., that anonymous guy with the warts, certainly will provoke trash reviews from some. Well, such reviewers would criticize St. Paul who killed Christians and then spread the Gospel worldwide. Hartigan's book is well-researched in the literature and through many personal interviews. His years with Lois Wilson, Bill's widow, provided him with the kind of history that is practically non-existent any more. The oldtimers are dead. So his bio of Bill saves much from oblivion. Argue all you want with his interpretations at times but let's give credit here for a first-class effort to paint a balanced picture of a guy who struggled all his life, not with sobriety, but with his weaknesses and moral, emotional and spiritual warts. In America today, we very often place multi-billionaires, sports heroes, movie stars, and the latest "15-minutes of fame" TV personalities on a pedestal...only to enjoy ripping them to shreds as they fall to moral weakness and media exposure. We place them up there with the virtues of power, prestige, and greed. How spiritually refreshing then to find this book about Bill W. who knew poverty most of his life and was tempted often by money, who was offered great public prestige and rejected it, who gave away the power of leadership to the AA Fellowship at large. Trying to hide these things would turn Bill W. into an empty plastic saint. I'll take Hartigan's book, warts [if any] and all. His experiences with Lois and many others were a treasure and he has shared that treasure with us. Thanks, Fran. Amen.