Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book — Second Edition, First Printing, First Issue — 1955

Original Dust Jacket · St. Louis International Convention Issue · Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr. Provenance

Offered here is an authentic First Printing, First Issue of the Second Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, published in 1955 by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc., complete with its original dust jacket.

This is the earliest issue of the Second Edition—the version introduced at the 1955 A.A. International Convention in St. Louis—and it is one of the most desirable forms of the Second Edition for collectors.

The first issue is distinguished by a combination of internal textual points and, most importantly, the original dust jacket with the additional convention-era ordering paragraph on the rear flap.

This copy also carries well-documented provenance to The Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr., an Episcopal priest serving in Georgia during the same period the book was published.

Provenance — The Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr.

This copy was personally owned by The Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr., an Episcopal clergyman active in Georgia during the 1950s.

By 1954, Jones was serving as rector of the Church of the Mediator in Washington, Georgia. He later became rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bainbridge, Georgia, and while based in Bainbridge also ministered to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Blakely. His first service there was conducted on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1955.

Jones remained in the Bainbridge area until late 1957, when he accepted a call to Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The association of this book with Jones is especially strong because his ownership information is stamped twice inside the volume:

The Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr.
P.O. Box 271
Bainbridge, Georgia

The address corresponds directly with the period during which Jones was serving at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

That places this early Second Edition Big Book in the personal library of a Christian clergyman actively serving southern Georgia during an important period in the growth of Alcoholics Anonymous.

For collectors interested in the relationship between A.A. and the clergy during the Fellowship’s early decades, the association gives this copy an added dimension beyond its bibliographic importance.

The First Issue of the Second Edition

The Second Edition debuted in 1955, sixteen years after the original 1939 Big Book.

By then, Alcoholics Anonymous had grown from a fellowship of fewer than 100 members into an international movement numbering well over 100,000.

The basic recovery text remained substantially unchanged, but the Second Edition greatly expanded the historical material and replaced much of the personal story section in order to reflect the dramatic growth and broader geographic reach of A.A.

This specific copy belongs to the earliest issue of that edition.

Although the removable white convention band is no longer present, the book can still be identified as a First Issue, First Printing through a combination of original jacket and internal printing points.

First Issue Identification

Original Dust Jacket

The original jacket contains the most important first-issue identifier.

The front is labeled:

“Second Edition”

The publisher is identified as:

A.A. Pub. Inc.

Most significantly, the rear flap contains an additional paragraph found on the earliest convention-distributed jackets:

“This book may be ordered from the publisher upon a free examination basis. Examine for seven days and if not satisfied that the book will be helpful return and money (including postage) will be refunded.”

This paragraph was removed from later jackets, making its presence an important identifying feature of the initial issue associated with the 1955 St. Louis International Convention.

First Printing Identification

The earliest Second Edition printings do not state their printing number in the conventional manner, so collectors rely on internal textual points.

This copy contains the identifying characteristics of the First Printing:

Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc.

Page xx, line 6: “really” appears misspelled as “realy.”

This typographical error is associated with the First Printing and was corrected in subsequent printings.

The asterisk on page 16 also reads:

“AA is now composed of nearly 6000 groups (1955).”

Taken together with the original first-issue jacket, these points establish this volume as an authentic Second Edition, First Printing, First Issue.

The 1955 Second Edition

The Second Edition was far more than a simple reprinting of the original Big Book.

While the primary recovery text on pages 1–165 remained substantially unchanged, the new edition reflected the enormous transformation that had taken place within Alcoholics Anonymous since 1939.

The title page now described:

“How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism.”

The Second Edition introduced an expanded historical Foreword, additional professional and religious commentary, a larger Appendix, and a completely revised personal story section.

The new story section contained 37 case histories, including the notable division:

“They Stopped in Time.”

More than 110,000 words of new material were incorporated into the revised edition.

The book therefore represents a pivotal moment in A.A. history: the transition from the relatively small fellowship documented in the First Edition to the established international movement of the mid-1950s.

The Original Second Edition Dust Jacket

The presence of the original jacket is a major part of this copy’s appeal.

Beyond the first-issue ordering paragraph, the Second Edition jacket includes one of the most interesting practical features ever printed on an A.A. book:

“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.”

The statement is a fascinating reflection of how seriously anonymity was considered in the physical design and everyday use of the Big Book.

Early original Second Edition jackets are increasingly difficult to locate, and first-issue examples carrying the additional convention text are particularly desirable.

Condition

The book is in Very Good condition.

The original cloth boards show only minor wear consistent with age and handling. The binding remains sound and the spine is firm and intact.

The ownership stamp of The Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr., P.O. Box 271, Bainbridge, Georgia appears inside the book, confirming the provenance described above.

Aside from the ownership stamps, the interior is notably clean, with no significant handwriting or reader annotation noted.

The original dust jacket is present and intact, with visible age-related wear, including rubbing, edge wear, small tears and other handling consistent with an original 1955 jacket.

The original removable white convention band is not present.

Please review all photographs carefully for the most complete representation of both the book and dust jacket condition.

Collector Significance

This copy combines several attributes rarely found together:

• 1955 Second Edition, First Printing
• First Issue associated with the St. Louis International Convention
• Original first-issue dust jacket with the extra rear-flap ordering paragraph
• Confirmed ownership provenance to The Rev. John Paul Jones, Jr.
• Strong overall condition for an early Second Edition

For collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous publishing history, the First Issue of the 1955 Second Edition represents one of the key transition points in the story of the Big Book.

And unlike an anonymous copy, this example retains a documented connection to a working Episcopal priest who owned the book during the very years in which A.A. was rapidly expanding into communities throughout the United States.

A highly collectible and historically meaningful example of the earliest issue of the Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition Big Book.