That Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous [Paperback]

Dick B. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1996

This is the story of the immense contribution made by early A.A. pioneer Clarence H. Snyder to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland, its astonishing growth there in early A.A. years, and its even more unique documented 93% success rate. It is told through the eyes of Clarence Snyder's widow "Amazing Grace" Snyder (as Clarence called her). There have been other accounts, some very good, of the Clarence Snyder story. But this one was prepared by author Dick B. after spending a week in Florida with Grace, interviewing her and going over historical details not previously reported. Here you will learn the close bond between Clarence and his third wife, Grace. You will learn how they worked together in sponsoring new people, praying and studying together, and conducting the spiritual retreats for AAs and their families that Clarence had earlier founded. In a sense, you will conclude that Clarence is really the hero of early A.A. He didn't care for Bill Wilson or his financial meanderings. But, when he chose to organize the Cleveland fellowship, he took the best of A.A. with him and applied it. There were four basic parts: (1) The Bible. (2) The Four Absolutes of the Oxford Group. (3) The new Big Book just published. (4) The Twelve suggested steps for recovery that the Big Book laid out. This was new ground. Dr. Bob had already thoroughly convinced and indoctrinated Clarence about the efficacy of God's power, the importance of the Bible, the techniques for approaching newcomers, and the essential conversion to Christ. But, as he essentially made A.A. palatable and available to Roman Catholics who had been having difficulty with the so-called "Protestant" Akron program, Clarence brought the Bible with him. He kept the biblical principles in the Four absolutes--honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. He dived into the Big Book, and he began taking hordes of newcomers through the Twelve Steps in very short order. In other words, he embraced the essentials of Oxford Group standards; he embraced the biblical orientation of Dr. Bob; and he applied the Big Book program of recovery that Bill Wilson had just gained approval to publish in 1939. All this as seen and interpreted by Clarence's devoted and loyal wife Grace. And carried forward by Grace after Clarence died. The companion to this book is the "Our Legacy" book recently compiled and edited by Dick B. and written by three Clarence Snyder oldtimer sponsees and their wives, detailing the history and the exact methods Clarence used in taking people through the Steps and in conducting the spiritual retreats which are still being held in the United States and Great Britain. This is a heart-warming personalized book about an unusually devoted couple of A.A. Twelfth-steppers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dick B. is a writer, historian, retired attorney, Bible student, and active recovered member of the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. He has been a close friend of several Clarence Snyder retreat leaders as well as Clarence's widow Grace. He has spoken as a guest at Snyder retreats in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, and California. He has published 32 titles on the history of A.A.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Paradise Research Publications (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885803060
• ISBN-13: 978-1885803061
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,705,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm an active, recovered member of Alcoholics Anonymous. I use the pen name Dick B. to conform to A.A. Traditions. I am also a writer, an historian, a Christian, a Bible student, a certified CDAAC, a retired attorney, and A.A. with over 25 years of continuous sobriety. As of October, 2011, I had, for more than 21 years, been researching the roots of early A.A. in the Bible, United Christian Endeavor, the Salvation Army, the Rescue Missions, the Young Men's Christian Association, the evangelists of the 1800's, the life-changing program of the Oxford Group, the teachings of Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Quiet Time, the teachings of Anne Ripley Smith (Dr. Bob's wife), and the roles of William James, Carl Jung, Richard Peabody, New Thought writers, William D. Silkworth, Christian literature and devotionals of the day. And published 42 titles and over 675 articles on all aspects of A.A.'s spiritual history, biblical roots, and astonishing successes in the 1930's and very early 1940's. And why? Because many in the 12 Step Fellowships tire of hearing about a 'higher power' that can be a tree, a radiator, a lightbulb, the group, or Gertrude. And they tire of seeing Biblical expressions in A.A.'s basic text and early literature and yet hearing today's literature stating that A.A. is 'spiritual, but not religious' when outsiders and the courts readily see its religious character and many therefore believe they should be able to learn A.A. Christian roots. And they tire of the fatalism that abounds in recovery writings and talk today. So I decided to find out where A.A. came from, and then pass on to the 100 plus men I have sponsored, the truth about A.A.'s roots. Currently and still today, one history after another appears in print and purports to talk about A.A.'s beginnings. Yet there is little or no mention of the Bible, of God, of Jesus Christ, of Divine healing, of redemptive forgiveness, or of deliverance from the power of darkness. Nonetheless, these unmentioned or little mentioned Christian elements were relied upon by early AAs for their astonishing recoveries. The fact is that they declared they were cured by the power of God and had a documented 75 to 93% success rate among seemingly hopeless, medically incurable, alcoholics who gave the program their best shot. So each of my 42 published titles and innumerable articles cover some aspect, and often more than one, of A.A.'s seven major Biblical and basic roots: (1) The Bible. (2) Quiet Time and the daily devotionals. (3) The teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker, Jr. (4) The life-changing program of the Oxford Group. (5) The details in the spiritual journal kept by Anne Ripley Smith (co-founder DR. Bob's wife) and shared with the pioneers and their families, but unmentioned today. (6) The extensive Christian literature ranging from St. Augustine to Brother Lawrence to Henry Drummond to John Mott to Harry Emerson Fosdick to Glenn Clark to Oswald Chambers, and a host of others. (7) One of the most recent finds has been the roots of Akron A.A. in the United Christian Endeavor Society. If one wants to understand the role, power, and love of God our Creator in A.A. today, that person will not accomplish much in the meetings, nor even in the "something" or "somebody" definitions that are pumped out today as a "power" to seek. Nonetheless, they can find accurate facts in my thoroughly researched and documented work of the past 21 years. For A.A. history abounds with truths from the Bible: how to come to God through His son Jesus Christ, how to be healed, how to comport yourself in accordance with Christian principles, how to pray, and how to receive guidance as one of God's kids. It's all there; and I welcome your comments and the many I receive each day. There's still plenty to learn and pass on. God Bless, Dick B. PS: Many of our latest findings are in The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., 2010 www.dickb.com/Christian-Recov-Guide.shtml. Many are frequently posted on my blog www.mauihistorian.blogspot.com, as well as my facebook and twitter entries

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Source of early Alcoholics Anonymous History: Grace Snyder, October 18, 2011

By 

Dick B. "Dick B." (Kihei, HI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous (Paperback)

Grace Snyder was the third wife of early A.A. pioneer, Clarence H. Snyder. Clarence was, at the time of his death, the A.A. member with the greatest amount of continuous sobriety. He got sober in February of 1938. He was sponsored by A.A. Co-founder Dr. Bob. In May of 1939, Clarence founded the first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland. The groups in Cleveland grew from one to thirty in a year. And, by the early 1940's, there was a 93% success rate among the Cleveland members. Clarence truly was an unusual A.A. 12-Stepper. So was his wife, Grace.

The author and his son Ken spent a week in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, staying in the home of, and interviewing Clarence's long-time wife and love--Grace Moore Snyder. Grace had made a point of learning about early A.A. from Clarence. And she patiently told her recollections to Dick B. and Ken B.

And the book, That Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous reports on the personal observations that Grace provided. Details about how she and Clarence met and were married. Details about Clarence's remarks on each of the Twelve Steps. Details about the Christian books in Clarence's library. The Bible stories Clarence frequently told his sponsees and meetings. The members of pioneer A.A. And the response Clarence would give when asked about the A.A. program.

This gem of a book gives Alcoholics Anonymous History in a new and fresh form--from the words of one of the long-time A.A. oldtimers, who told it all to his beloved wife, Grace.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Scoop on A.A.'s Clarence and Grace Snyder, March 27, 2008

By 

Daxton Lyon (Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous (Paperback)

Dick B. became one of my long-time friends and brothers in Christ in a Bible fellowship. I knew that he traveled all over the United States gathering information and books about early A.A.'s Bible roots. I also knew that he had several times been a principal speaker at the so-called "Clarence Snyder Retreats" for AAs and their families that Snyder had founded many many years earlier in his sobriety. Dick's draw seemed to be his intimate knowledge of early A.A. history and the fact that Clarence's widow Grace Snyder said she could almost hear her husband's voice as Dick recited the facts. Finally, Dick asked Grace if he could write a book about her. She was enthused. She invited him and his son Ken to stay at her home in Florida and hear the details. This warm, enthusiastic, informative book about Clarence, Grace, A.A., and the Snyder retreats is a gem. It was followed by the Our Legacy book that Dick compiled and edited from the writings of three Clarence Snyder oldtimer sponsees as their wives. Taken with Mitch K's biography of Clarence, this makes a threesome of some very important early A.A. history derived from the man sponsored by Dr. Bob, longest in sobriety at one point, and the founder of the phenomenally successful Cleveland A.A. program.