Historical Reference Center

From the red-bound 1939 First Printing to the final navy-blue volume issued in 1954, the First Edition Big Book traces the remarkable growth of Alcoholics Anonymous through sixteen printings. Explore cloth variations, wartime production changes, membership milestones, and the evolution of the Fellowship during its formative years.

The Wartime Big Book Debacle explores the unusual 7th and 8th printings of the First Edition Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book. During World War II, paper restrictions led AA to shrink the book—but the rare 7th printing mysteriously stayed full-sized, while the 8th became the smallest Big Book ever made.