Original Working Manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous Ends Jim Irsay Auction with $2m Estimate

The original working text of Alcoholics Anonymous with extensive handwritten notations and edits by the authors will be the final lot of The Jim Irsay Collection: Icons of History sale at Christie's on July 1, 2026.

This work is known as The Big Book and launched the now famous 12-step movement. It has an estimate of $1m-$2m. All of the proceeds of its sale will be donated to philanthropic causes supported by Jim Irsay, the late owner of the Indianapolis Colts.

Running to 167 pages, the typescript by AA co-founder Bill Wilson with annotations by Hank Parkhurst, also features a presentation leaf from Lois Wilson, Bill’s widow, bound in: “I joyfully give this multilith copy of the AA book, one of my most precious possessions, to you, dear Barry, as evidence of my deep gratitude for all you have done for AA, for Al-Anon, & particularly for me ... 1/1/78.”

The annotations and revisions show traces of competing visions in terms of religious phrasing and lived experience as the collaborative group of contributors attempt to codify a new way of life.

A striking element of the working manuscript is that the very directive “you” statements that dominated earlier drafts of the Twelve Steps have evolved into the more measured and accessible “we”. Taking the first two steps as an example, we see that instead of the command to “Admit you are powerless over alcohol - that your life has become unmanageable” and “Come to believe that God could restore you to sanity” the manuscript reads:

 
1    [We] Admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2    Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (emphasis added)

Also notable is that the religious element is toned down in the manuscript, so thta in step three a reference to God is qualified with “as we understand him.” 

The manuscript opens with the Foreword, in which the AA's founding principle of anonymity is framed as an act of humility and protection. It proceeds into The Doctor’s Opinion endorsement by Dr. William Silkworth, whose articulation of alcoholism as both a physical allergy and a mental obsession became an AA doctrine. Then comes Bill’s Story, Wilson’s frank account of his collapse and redemption, followed by later chapters There Is a Solution, How It Works, Into Action, and Working with Others. The final section comprises  80 pages of Personal Stories, the experiences of early members.

Jim Irsay’s daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson, said: “Our dad was passionate and thoughtful when it came to assembling The Jim Irsay Collection. He loved every item he acquired but was asked many times which he would save if he only could save one. His answer was always The Big Book.”