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An amazing collection of first editions of Bill W.'s classic 'Big Book,' comprising a complete run of all sixteen printings—highlighted by a sought-after signed first printing, plus the extremely scarce seventh printing. Five original dust jackets are included (5th (2), 9th, 15th, and 16th), while the remainder are wrapped in facsimile reprint jackets. Eighteen books in total, as two are duplicated within the group.
The two highlights of the collection are:
- Alcoholics Anonymous. First edition, first printing (April 1939). NY: Works Publishing Company, 1939. Hardcover bound in the original red cloth , 6.25 x 9.25, 400 pages. Signed and inscribed on the first free end page in blue ballpoint, "Dear Bob, With this, my deepest gratitude for your great example of AA's way of life—Ever, Bill, NY, May 3/67." Book condition: G+/None, with some rubbing and soiling to boards, small splits to cloth toward the top of the front joint, a bumped top front corner, and some expert professional restorations to include minor color touchups to the red cloth, and the application of new endpapers.
- Alcoholics Anonymous. First edition, seventh printing (January 1945). NY: Works Publishing Company, 1945. Hardcover bound in the original navy blue cloth, 6.25 x 9.25, 400 pages. An opening page carries the "Important Notice" statement: "This is a war time printing and is complete and unabridged in contents. While the type face remains unchanged, the book has been drastically reduced in size and weight in order to conform with Government regulations for saving paper." Despite this statement, the book was made the same size as the previous printing—a mistake that led to a quick halt in production. It is estimated that only a few hundred (~200-500) seventh printings were produced before the stoppage, making it far and away the rarest edition of the 'Big Book.' Book condition: VG-/None, with minor rippling to cloth and rubbing to boards, edgewear, some minor dampstaining to textblock edge, and an ink inscription on the half-title page, "James Wilson, One Day at a Time."
The other books include:
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, second printing (March 1941)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, third printing (June 1942)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, fourth printing (March 1943) (2 copies, one in an original 5th printing jacket)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, fifth printing (January 1944) (original jacket)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, sixth printing (June 1944)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, eighth printing (February 1945)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, ninth printing (January 1946) (original jacket)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, tenth printing (August 1946)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, eleventh printing (June 1947)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, twelfth printing (October 1948)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, thirteenth printing (February 1950)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, fourteenth printing (July 1951)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, fifteenth printing (January 1954)
Alcoholics Anonymous - First edition, sixteenth printing (August 1954) (2 copies, one in an original jacket)
These books are in overall very good condition, and the original jackets are in overall good condition, with some fading colors and paper loss.
First published in 1939 during the final years of the Great Depression, Alcoholics Anonymous—the foundational text of the worldwide AA movement—would go on to become one of the most influential American books of the 20th century, shaping modern concepts of recovery, peer support, and addiction treatment. The sixteen printings of the first edition, issued between 1939 and 1954, document the formative years of the Fellowship as it expanded from a small group into an international organization. As a complete run, this collection offers a rare bibliographic record of that evolution, made all the more exceptional by the inclusion of a signed first printing and the legendary wartime seventh printing, widely regarded as the rarest and most sought-after edition of the Big Book.
