Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition 5th Printing from 1944 - RDJ

Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book)

First Edition — Fifth Printing (January 1944)

“Baby Blue” Cloth Boards · With Reproduction Dust Jacket

Description

Offered here is a First Edition, Fifth Printing (January 1944) copy of Alcoholics Anonymous—an important wartime-era First Edition printing often recognized by collectors for its distinctive light “baby blue” cloth.

The Fifth Printing is also notable as the last of the true “Big” Big Books, representing the end of the earliest large-format First Edition printings before later format changes. This printing includes the well-known page headed “Now We Are Ten Thousand” (page 391), a powerful snapshot of the Fellowship’s explosive early growth.

A reproduction dust jacket is included for protection and display (original dust jacket not present).

Historical Significance

By early 1944, Alcoholics Anonymous was rapidly expanding beyond its earliest groups, and the Big Book was becoming the central tool for carrying the message. The Fifth Printing stands as a meaningful mid-war milestone in the First Edition era—early enough to retain many classic First Edition characteristics, while reflecting a Fellowship that had begun to take firm root across the country.

For collectors, “baby blue” Fifth Printings are especially appealing as a visually distinctive First Edition variant and as a late example of the earliest large-format style.

Edition Details

Title: Alcoholics Anonymous

Edition: First Edition

Printing: Fifth Printing

Publication Date: January 1944

Boards: Light “baby blue” cloth

Dust Jacket: Reproduction dust jacket included (original not present)

Condition

Book: Good condition. Blue cloth shows wear, staining, fading, and rubbing to the cover and spine. Spine gilt lettering is darkened. Binding remains intact.

Interior: Pen/pencil markings in multiple shades throughout, including underlining and margin notes.

Dust Jacket: Reproduction jacket included for protection and display.

Please review all photos carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.

Collector Significance

• First Edition, Fifth Printing (January 1944)
• Distinctive “baby blue” First Edition cloth boards
• Includes the “Now We Are Ten Thousand” heading (p. 391)
• The last of the true “Big” Big Books in the First Edition era

• Reproduction dust jacket included (original not present)

A character-rich wartime First Edition Big Book—an important early printing with heavy reader-use notes that speak to how these books were studied, shared, and lived.