Signed by Charles Clapp Jr. - Drunks Are Square Pegs - ODJ
Title: Drunks Are Square Pegs — Signed by Charles Clapp Jr.
Author: Charles Clapp Jr.
Publication Date: 1942
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Publisher: Harper & Brothers
Binding: Hardcover in original cloth boards
Dust Jacket Condition: Fair – present but torn into three sections with heavy wear
Pages: Approx. 280
Condition: Excellent – book itself is clean and well-preserved; no markings or writing inside; binding tight. Please review photos for exact condition details.
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Description: Drunks Are Square Pegs — Signed First Printing
This rare 1942 first printing of Drunks Are Square Pegs comes signed by its author, Charles Clapp Jr., one of the earliest men helped directly by A.A. cofounder Bill Wilson. Clapp was initially an Oxford Grouper under Sam Shoemaker’s influence but struggled with relapses until Bill W. assisted him into sobriety in October 1935.
In this deeply personal book, Clapp captures the struggles, failures, and insights of an alcoholic trying to reconcile his life and recovery during the formative years of A.A. His narrative is marked by honesty, spiritual searching, and the influence of both the Oxford Group and the fledgling fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Clapp went on to author three books—The Big Bender, Drinking’s Not the Problem, and this, Drunks Are Square Pegs, which remains one of his most sought-after works for collectors and historians of early recovery literature.
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Collector’s Significance
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Signed Copy: Hand-signed by Charles Clapp Jr., making it exceptionally scarce.
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Historical Connection: Clapp was personally helped by Bill W. and tied to A.A.’s earliest days.
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Oxford Group Influence: Offers insight into the crossover of Oxford Group principles into early A.A. practice.
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Condition: Excellent book in scarce dust jacket (worn and in three pieces), making it a desirable collectible despite jacket flaws.
This signed first printing represents not only a valuable artifact of recovery literature but also a direct link to one of the men personally helped by A.A.’s cofounder, Bill Wilson.
