For Drunks Only Booklet by Richmond Walker - First Edition
For Drunks Only: One Man’s Reactions To Alcoholics Anonymous by Richmond Walker. This is one of the first 8,000 booklets printed in 1945-1946.
Richmond W., author of Twenty-Four Hours a Day; published For Drunks Only: One Man’s Reaction to Alcoholics Anonymous in September 1945. For Drunks Only is Walker’s personal story of following the guidelines in Chapter Five of Alcoholics Anonymous: “what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now.” He also adds insight on how A.A. works for those who are willing to accept the A.A. spiritual program of recovery from alcoholism.
In the early 1940s, Alcoholics Anonymous headquarters published only its Big Book and a few pamphlets. Meanwhile, many groups began publishing additional material for A.A. members. Richmond W. was a few years sober in A.A. and a member of the South Shore A.A. group in Quincy, Massachusetts when they published 2,000 copies of For Drunks Only in 1945. At that time, A.A. membership was around 13,000 and 900 A.A. groups were established. In March 1946, 6,000 more copies of For Drunks Only were printed by the Quincy Group and sold for 25 cents each to A.A. members.
In 1945, Richmond W. sent a copy of his pamphlet to his friend and A.A. cofounder, Bill W. The book was inscribed, “For Bill W. with gratitude from Rich W.” In 1946, Richmond W. offered Bill W. For Drunks Only; to consider for publication by A.A. But, A.A. declined to publish For Drunks Only; as it would also decline to publish Twenty Four Hours a Day when he made a similar offer in 1954.
Richmond Walker was originally from Quincy, Massachusetts and later moved to Daytona Beach, Florida and anonymously published his works including the Twenty-Four Hours a Day book.
Richmond Walker got sober in Boston in May 1942, and later moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, where in 1948 he published Twenty-Four Hours a Day, which became the great meditation book of early A.A. from that point on.
In 1939, Walker did what Bill W. and Dr. Bob had done before him: he joined the Oxford Group in an attempt to get sober. He was able to achieve two and a half years of painful, white-knuckled sobriety by using their methods. But that was as long as he could make it, and in 1941 he started drinking again. He did however gain a deep acquaintance with Oxford Group concepts like guidance, and with the books which various Oxford Group leaders were writing and publishing.
It is probable at one time more AA members personally owned 24 Hours a Day than owned the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Probably second only to Bill W. as the most read AA author.
The booklet is in very good condition. There is toning to the paper with minimal wear to the cover. There is a stamp on the back cover. No other writing or markings in the book.
Please view all of the photos for the conditions.