What is Reddit's opinion of Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous?

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Tell us how it goes! I've been in your situation many times. In my town, we had a central office where members were paying themselves a salary and misusing funds. They were taking donations from meetings and buying personal items.

Honestly, I hope you say something. These days I turn to the Big Book and AA history for answers. As God's people we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone. In the beginning days, there was a tremendous amount of infighting, especially between the Akron, Cleveland and New York groups, and it's only obliquely referred to in the Foreword to the Second Edition. But it's there. (xviii, paragraph 2.)

Among other things, turns out Roman Catholic priests would not allow members of their flock to go to AA meetings. And Bill Wilson did not call the groups "Alcoholics Anonymous." The person who coined that phrase threatened to start his own group and called himself the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. A lot of our modern ideas such as "meeting attendance," "sponsorship," and "rotation of leadership" were created out of that maelstrom.

Bill Wilson held the very first international conference at that time, a previously unheard of idea and against the counsel of all his close advisors. He revealed the Traditions for the first time and it was voted on. By the alcoholics in attendance. Dr. Bob gave his final talk at that same conference and died a few months later.

I think I read these stories in this book, which you should pick up. It's been years and I still haven't finished it :)

There were temperance groups and charities to help alcoholics. The innovation of AA was that the drunks helped each other.

There is a good history of AA called "Not God" which gives some of the background.

https://www.amazon.com/Not-God-Alcoholics-Ernest-Kurtz/dp/0894860658