Saturday Review from August 1955 - The Big Book Bible for Alcoholics

Title: Saturday Review – August 27, 1955

Publisher: Saturday Review Associates, Inc.

Publication Date: August 27, 1955

Pages: Approx. 60

Condition: Good – library copy with Antigo Public Library stamps on cover; library card paper clipped to first page; small chips and edge wear along the front and back covers; light toning and wear to interior pages consistent with age; binding secure and pages complete. Please review photos for exact condition details.

Featured Article: “The Big Book: Bible for Alcoholics” by John Haverstick

This rare and highly collectible issue of Saturday Review contains one of the very few national reviews of Alcoholics Anonymous’ newly published Second Edition of the “Big Book” (1955). In “The Big Book: Bible for Alcoholics,” John Haverstick examines the history, impact, and significance of the foundational A.A. text, noting the organization’s growth since the precarious early days following the 1939 first edition.

Haverstick highlights the struggle A.A. faced in selling the first printing, which left thousands of unsold copies and even a dispossess notice at A.A. headquarters. He traces how national publicity—including Liberty Magazine’s coverage and John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s support—helped establish both A.A. and its book as essential resources for alcoholics seeking recovery. The article emphasizes how the Second Edition reflects A.A.’s expansion and the practical necessity of providing literature for alcoholics far from established groups.

As one of only a handful of reviews of the Second Edition, this article is considered among the most sought-after by collectors, bridging the history of A.A.’s fragile beginnings with its emergence as a major social and spiritual force.

Collector’s Significance

• Historic Review: One of very few published national reviews of A.A.’s Second Edition Big Book.
• Scarcity: Far rarer than the multiple reviews of the 1939 First Edition, including Harry Emerson Fosdick’s influential commentary.
• Contextual Importance: Documents how A.A. overcame financial and social hurdles in its earliest years.
• Condition: Solid library copy, fully intact with expected signs of age, adding to its authenticity.

This issue is an important artifact for collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous history and those studying the cultural reception of the A.A. Big Book in the mid-20th century.