Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition 15th Printing from 1973 - ODJ
Alcoholics Anonymous — Second Edition, Fifteenth Printing (1973) | Original Dust Jacket
Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. | New York City, 1973
Printed in the U.S.A.
Printer: The Cornwall Press, Inc., Cornwall, N.Y.
Binding: Blue cloth hardcover with gilt spine titles and blind-stamped cover lettering
Dust Jacket: Original dark-blue jacket with cream lettering
Description: This is the Fifteenth Printing (1973) of the Alcoholics Anonymous “Big Book,” Second Edition (1955). It features the same text as earlier Second Edition printings, with membership statistics updated through 1972.
This edition captures A.A. at a pivotal moment in its growth: The Foreword to the Second Edition notes the expansion to over 18,000 groups in 90 countries, with more than 575,000 members worldwide by 1972. The Fellowship’s global presence, including groups throughout Europe, Asia, and South America, reflected the book’s extraordinary reach and enduring influence nearly 35 years after the program’s founding.
As with all Second Editions, the first 164 pages of the text remain identical to the original 1939 edition, preserving the foundational Twelve Steps and program of recovery. The Personal Stories section was thoroughly revised in 1955 to better reflect the diversity of A.A. membership, adding 110,000 words of new material, including the section “They Stopped in Time.
A notable and charming feature of the jacket remains the anonymity reminder: “If you wish to preserve complete personal anonymity when carrying this book, just turn this jacket inside out. It has been especially designed for your convenience.”
Condition:
Book: Very Good — clean and tight throughout; light shelf wear to corners; no writing or markings.
Dust Jacket: Good — intact and original with some edge wear, minor chipping, and light rubbing; presents very well in protective cover.
Pages: Clean and evenly toned with no foxing or stains.
Binding: Firm and square; gilt lettering on spine bright.
Please review all photos for details of condition.
