Alcoholics Anonymous Extremely RARE First Edition 7th Printing Big Book 1945 - RDJ
Alcoholics Anonymous
First Edition — Seventh Printing (January 1945)
The Rare Wartime Printing Error Big Book
With Reproduction Dust Jacket
Offered here is an original First Edition, Seventh Printing of Alcoholics Anonymous, printed in January 1945 by Works Publishing Inc. This printing is widely regarded as one of the most difficult First Edition Big Book printings to locate today.
The Seventh Printing occupies a unique and short-lived place in A.A. publishing history. Produced during World War II, it was intended to be the first reduced-size wartime Big Book, created in response to government paper-saving regulations. Inside the book is the printed “Important Notice” explaining that the volume was complete and unabridged, but that the book had been “drastically reduced in size and weight” to conform with wartime paper regulations.
However, the Seventh Printing was mistakenly produced in the same full-size format as the prior Sixth Printing. Once the error was discovered, the printing was halted and a corrected smaller-format Eighth Printing followed shortly afterward in February 1945. This unusual production history has made the Seventh Printing one of the most elusive and desirable Big Books in the First Edition run.
Why the Seventh Printing Is So Rare
The Seventh Printing represents a documented wartime publishing anomaly. It carries the wartime reduction notice, yet the book itself was not actually reduced in format. This mismatch between the printed notice and the physical book is what makes the Seventh Printing so distinctive.
Because production was stopped quickly, surviving examples appear far less often than most other First Edition printings. Even in modest condition, a Seventh Printing remains a major piece for advanced Big Book collectors.
Key Identifying Characteristics
Title: Alcoholics Anonymous
Edition: First Edition
Printing: Seventh Printing
Date: January 1945
Publisher: Works Publishing Inc., New York City
Format: Full-size wartime error printing
Important Notice: Wartime paper-saving notice present
Dust Jacket: Reproduction dust jacket included
Condition
This book is in fair to good condition overall, with visible age, wear, and handling consistent with an original 1945 wartime Big Book.
The dark cloth boards show general wear, rubbing, scuffing, and staining. The front and rear boards have visible marks and discoloration, including darker stain areas on the cloth. Corners and edges show wear, with fraying and rubbing at the extremities. The spine shows wear to the cloth at the top and bottom, with fraying and some loss at the spine ends. The spine gilt remains visible but is darkened and worn.
The binding remains intact, though there is visible wear and weakness at the rear hinge/gutter area, with exposed binding material shown in the photos. The book still holds together and is complete.
The interior shows age toning, foxing, and scattered staining to the endpapers and some pages. The wartime notice page and copyright/printing page are present. No writing, underlining, or reader markings are noted in the main text.
This copy includes a reproduction dust jacket.
Please review all photographs carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.
Collector’s Note
The First Edition Big Book sequence is the cornerstone of A.A. collecting, and the Seventh Printing is one of the most challenging printings in that entire run. Its wartime notice, full-size printing error, and brief production window make it a standout historical artifact from Alcoholics Anonymous during World War II.
A scarce and important copy of the rare January 1945 Seventh Printing — a meaningful addition for advanced Big Book collectors, A.A. historians, archives, and recovery literature collections.
