Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism. Alcoholics anonymous big book with original dust jacket by. Foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939. Audio version of chapter six, into action, from the big book of alcoholics anonymous, first edition, originally published in 1939. More than 300,000 copies of the first edition are now in circulation. The original 1939 edition is a must have for anyone who has a passion for the history of alcoholics anonymous. First edition of bill wilsons classic work, one of the bestselling books of all time. First is a first edition, first printing of the big book from april 1939 in its original jacket, signed by bill wilson. Alcoholics anonymousthe big book has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. Alcoholics anonymous first edition bill wilson first. Since the first edition appeared in 1939, the big book alcoholic anonymous has helped millions of men and women in their recovery from alcoholism. A draft fourth edition of the big book, alcoholics anonymous be developed and a progress report be brought to the 1998 conference literature committee, keeping in mind the 1995 advisory action that. The holy grail of aa big book collections heads to auction fine.
It was printed on thick paper and had wide margins. Works publishing company, april 1939, hardcover 400pp. This new addition will be a faithful replica of the original, with the famous circus cover dust jacket and bulky paper which is why it was initially called the big book. Alcoholics anonymous 1st edition 1st printing 1939 dj aa big. Alcoholics anonymous big books 1939 first editions, first printings. Alcoholics anonymous first edition bill wilson first edition. This conferenceapproved special edition of alcoholics anonymous is a reproduction of the first printing of the first edition of the big book as it was published in 1939. This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Personal stories 1st edition, april, 1939, works publishing inc.
Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book original dust jacket ny. The holy grail of aa big book collections heads to auction. Special edition with red hardcover binding, the famous circus cover dust jacket and bulky paper which was why it was initially called the big book. Informally known as the big book, it has gone through numerous editions, and as a lifeline to millions worldwide, it is the most widely used resource for recovering alcoholics.
First printings are rare, signed and inscribed copies exceptionally so. Howard ls inspired wordforword reading makes the big. There is a no apparent writing in the book and there are no missing pages, the cover has general soiling, the spine ends are rolled, the gilt lettering on the front cover is dull and about 95% present, the gilt. Alcoholics anonymous big book has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. The big book was originally published in 1939 by aa founders bill w. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book inscribed by bill wilson to margret bobbie burger, her personal gift book, with its original dust jacket. Only this original 1939 edition includes all 29 stories of the programs pioneers, which share the details of their full journey, including initial recovery, sometimes followed by relapse and eventual success. The first edition of the novel was published in 1939, and was written by alcoholics anonymous. Alcoholics anonymous 1st edition 1st printing 1939 dj aa. The for the first edition of alcoholics anonymous was registered april 1, 1939. Several of the tenets of what was to become aas twelve traditions were first expressed in the foreword to the first edition of the big book of alcoholics anonymous in 1939. B1 alcoholics anonymous fourth edition 2001 of the big book, basic text of a. Alcoholics anonymous 1st edition, 1st printing, april 1939 works publishing company.
For my devoted helper, my loyal friend margret burger bill. W e, ofalcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Mar 01, 20 alcoholics anonymous big book represents a fine example of demand driven scarcity. Alcoholics anonymous facsimile first printing of the first.
Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939. There have been numerous reprints and revisions, in addition to translations into dozens of languages. Howard ls inspired reading of chapter eight, to wives, from the big book of alcoholics anonymous, first edition, originally published in 1939. Alcoholics anonymous big book 1st edition 1st printing april. Alcoholics anonymous 1st edition 1st printing 1939 dj aa big book. The second edition 1955 consisted of 1,150,000 copies.
Aa first edition, first printing april, 1939 big books available for purchase. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939 for sale. A special booklet, titled a brief history of the big book, in english, spanish and french, will be included with all orders of this commemorative edition big book. Alcoholics anonymous publishes several books, reports, pamphlets, and other media, including a periodical known as the aa grapevine. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism generally known as the big book because of the thickness of the paper used in the first edition is a 1939 basic text, describing how to recover from alcoholism, primarily written by william g. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 576 pages and is available in paperback format. A fine copy of the book, bright, crisp, square and completely unused. Pdf alcoholics anonymous book by alcoholics anonymous. The story of how more than one hundred men have recovered from alcoholism.
Although it was not the first help book to be published, it proved to be the most collectible in its category. First edition big book 75th anniversary reproduction aa cleveland. Foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the. Free download or read online alcoholics anonymous pdf epub book. The red cloth covers look great with no wear or fading. The big book has gone through numerous editions and remains the most widely used resource for recovering alcoholics. Detailsfourth edition 2001 of the big book, basic text of a. Stories from the first three editions of alcoholics anonymous by author.
Aa first edition first printing april, 1939 big book free u. The first edition appeared in april 1939, and in the following sixteen years, more than 300,000 copies went into circulation. Find alcoholics anonymous big book with original dust jacket by bill wilson 1939. In 2011, time magazine placed the book on its list of the 100 best and most influential books written in english since 1923, the beginning of the magazine. The second part changes because it is the part that consists of personal stories of recovering alcoholics. Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the. This is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939 we, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and woman who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. The book will probably never go out of print as it has set the standard for fighting addictions. Ruth hock, aas first national secretary, wrote if it wasnt for bill wilson the big book would never have been written. Alcoholics anonymous first edition bill wilson first edition signed.
To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women. First published in 1939, alcoholics anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. These are the personal stories in the back of the first edition book titled, alcoholics anonymous. This is the 1st printing of the 1st edition big book from 1939. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Feb 29, 2012 foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939. Alcoholics anonymous the aa big book first edition. Detailsto commemorate the 75th anniversary of the historic publication of alcoholics anonymous in april 1939, the 20 general service conference approved the creation of this facsimile edition of the first printing of the first edition. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printing 1939 book condition. The first section of the big book of alcoholics anonymous has not changed or been revised in any of the four editions. Its estimated that fewer than 200 copies still remain in their original dust jacket.
The main characters of this non fiction, self help story are. Wilson, one of the founders of alcoholics anonymous aa. With publication of the second edition in 1955, the third edition in 1976. The big sleep raymond chandler first edition 1939 1st book philip marlowe. New york a 1939 first edition, first printing of alcoholics anonymousinscribed and signed by wilson sold for. Aa big book aa big book taghere the foundation progress and principles washington temperance society of baltimore the missionary spirit alcoholism recovery 3rd edition 2nd edition alcohol allergy rehabilitation of alcoholics dr. The original 1939 edition, i could read the stories that makeup the second part of the first edition. Now, the author of the career officer, page 523 in the revised second edition, reports on thirteen more years of sobriety in ireland, where he first found aa twentyone years ago. Personal stories 2nd edition, 1955, alcoholics anonymous world services, inc.
This is the fourth edition of the book alcoholics anonymous. Portable, softcover, unabridged fourth edition, 4 12 x 7. The official publication date of the first printing of our big book, as noted by the united states copyright office, was april 10, 1939. First edition printing dates are given in the first edition big book stories at printing history of the first edition a reproduction of the first printing can be purchased today and it is much taller and thicker than our current big book, although it has fewer pages.
Jun 27, 20 my dad and i thoroughly discussed how the question why dont you choose your own conception of god. The first 164 pages of the big book, alcoholics anonymous, the preface, the forewords, the doctors opinion, dr. Chapters describing the aa recovery program remain unchanged. Alcoholics anonymous by bill wilson, first edition abebooks. Nicknamed the big book by the early aa members for its thick paper and wide margins, the books history began in 1934 when bill wilson, an alcoholic stockbroker who had found sobriety, decided to help other drunks in new york. Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the e. Biographies of the authors of the stories in the big book. Alcoholics anonymous the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions, the latter explaining aa s fundamental principles in depth. Alcoholics anonymous world services inc, new york city, 2001. I feel its important for a recovering alcoholic to encounter the history of aa because they need to know where aa came from and what made and makes alcoholics anonymous tick. Alcoholics anonymous the aa big book bill wilson, dr. This is the second edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, which made its first appearance in april 1939. In this big book the founders of aa outline the organizations successful twelve step treatment method in one of the best selling books of all time. Only 4,650 copies were printed, this book is an exceptional find, especially in the highly soughtafter original dust jacket.
Fourth edition 2001 of the big book, basic text of a. New stories have been added to the personal histories. In a near fine dust jacket with several short tears at the top of the spine, one tear at the base of the spine that has been reinforced with tape and minor loss at the. A seventh printing sold for 2,750 several years ago but you are unlikely to find that printing as cheap as that again. First edition first printing big book in near fine condition previously owned by bobbie burger, bill wilsons secretary that he inscribed to her on september, 25 1942.
Several more expensive copies are available via abebooks. Alcoholics anonymous by bill wilson, first edition. Alcoholics anonymous big book 1st edition 3rd printing 1942 rdj baby blue. Largeprint, softcover, 7 x 10 14, in type size recommended as suitable for the visually handicapped. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book with original. Unfollow alcoholics anonymous first edition big book to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing big book origin. By 1944 the number of aa groups had grown along with the number of letters being sent to the aa headquarters in new york asking how to handle disputes caused by issues like. Alcoholics anonymous big book in fine leather binding aa. The second edition, published in 1955, reached a total of more than 1,150,500 copies.
Jun 26, 2019 first is a first edition, first printing of the big book from april 1939 in its original jacket, signed by bill wilson. Living the program in all our affairs more than twelve years have passed since i. No renewal was made, thus it is public domain since end of 1967 however, this affects one story in the back of the book only lone endeavor. Because this book has become the basic text for our society and has helped such large numbers of alcoholic men and women to recovery, there exists a sentiment. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book.
Alcoholics anonymous big book 1st edition 1st printing. Alcoholics anonymous the big book is one of the bestselling books of all time. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book inscribed by bill wilson to margret bobbie burger her personal book, with original dust jacket. On page 417 of the aa big book, one of the secrets to relinquish alcoholism with success is mentioned. Alcoholics anonymous big book with original dust jacket by bill wilson edition. First edition big book 75th anniversary reproduction. Aug 17, 2011 the second part of the book has changed slightly with the printing of each new edition. Bill wilson alcoholics anonymous 19391939 first edition. Alcoholics anonymous 1st edition 1st printing 1939 rdj. According to the book on page 417, it is clearly mentioned the fundamental step towards emancipation is acceptance, coming into terms with reality, realizing the ground truth that one is indeed addicted.
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