Alcoholics Anonymous — First Edition, Third Printing (June 1942) - Olive Green Cloth Variant With Original Dust Jacket

Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book)

First Edition — Third Printing (June 1942)

Olive Green Cloth Variant | Works Publishing Company | Original Dust Jacket

Overview

Offered here is an authentic First Edition, Third Printing (June 1942) of Alcoholics Anonymous—the original “Big Book” that carried A.A.’s message into the wartime years, when the Fellowship was growing rapidly and the book itself was being refined in real time.

This copy is the olive green cloth variant and remains a strong, displayable example, complete with its original dust jacket—a major point of collector value for any early First Edition Big Book.

Why the Third Printing Matters

By June 1942, Alcoholics Anonymous was no longer a tiny experiment. The book’s second printing (March 1941) had landed in the wake of the famous Jack Alexander Saturday Evening Post article, and the Fellowship’s growth soon demanded another major print run.

The Third Printing is historically important because it reflects that momentum and includes additional early textual evolution:

• In “There Is a Solution” (p. 27), wording shifts from “one hundred men…” to “hundreds of men…”—a small line that speaks volumes about how quickly A.A. was expanding.

• The membership page updates as well: in this printing, p. 391 reads “Now We Are Six Thousand.”

First Edition Big Books are a moving target—each printing captures A.A. at a specific moment, with membership growth and textual adjustments recorded right on the page.

Edition / Printing Identification

• Publisher: Works Publishing Company, New York City

• Copyright page: lists First Printing (April 1939), Second Printing (March 1941), Third Printing (June 1942)

• Title page date: 1942

• First Edition format: original First Edition typography and layout, with evolving membership and content pages consistent with early printings

Condition

Book (Olive Green Cloth): Very good overall. Solid cloth with light, honest wear and minor staining/handling marks consistent with age. Spine gilt remains bright and highly legible. Binding appears sound and intact.

Interior: Evidence of prior tape/adhesive on the inside front board and facing endpaper. Pen markings/writing on page 71. No other writing or markings noted beyond the above.

Dust Jacket (Original): Complete and displayable, with edge wear, staining, and tearing (including a tear on the back panel) consistent with a surviving wartime-era jacket

Please review all photos closely—the images show the most accurate representation of condition, jacket wear, and the interior tape evidence.

Collector Notes

A First Edition Third Printing with an original dust jacket is always desirable; jackets from this era were often discarded, damaged, or replaced. The olive green cloth variant adds extra appeal for collectors assembling cloth-and-printing sequences across the First Edition years.