Alcoholics Anonymous — First Edition, Seventh Printing — January 1945
Rare Wartime Printing Error | Original Blue Cloth | Reproduction Dust Jacket
Offered here is an original First Edition, Seventh Printing of Alcoholics Anonymous, published by Works Publishing Inc. in January 1945.
The Seventh Printing occupies one of the most unusual and difficult-to-find positions in the First Edition printing history of the Big Book. Produced during World War II, it represents a brief transitional moment when Alcoholics Anonymous attempted to reduce the physical size and weight of the book in response to wartime paper-conservation requirements.
The Wartime Seventh Printing
At the front of the book is the important printed wartime notice:
IMPORTANT NOTICE
“This is a war time printing and is complete and unabridged in contents. While the type face remains unchanged, the book has been drastically reduced in size and weight in order to conform with Government regulations for saving paper.”
The historical peculiarity of the Seventh Printing is that despite this notice, the book was produced in the larger format rather than the reduced wartime size described.
The Seventh Printing appeared in January 1945. The following Eighth Printing was issued in February 1945 in the smaller wartime format.
That extremely short interval between the two printings, together with the production anomaly, has made the Seventh Printing one of the most elusive First Edition Big Books encountered by collectors.
The copyright page clearly identifies:
Seventh Printing, January, 1945
The title page reads:
Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than Fourteen Thousand Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism
and retains the original Works Publishing Inc., New York City imprint.
“Now We Are Fourteen Thousand”
Another important feature of this printing appears on page 391:
NOW WE ARE FOURTEEN THOUSAND. JANUARY 1945
When the Big Book was originally published in April 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous consisted of approximately 100 members.
By January 1945, the fellowship had grown to more than 14,000 men and women.
This section makes the Seventh Printing a particularly interesting historical snapshot of A.A. during an extraordinary period of growth — published while World War II was still underway and only six years after the first Big Book appeared.
Condition
Book
The book is in fair to good overall condition, showing substantial exterior wear from age and use while remaining intact.
The original blue cloth binding is present, with the blind-stamped Alcoholics Anonymous lettering still visible across the front board.
The boards show significant rubbing, discoloration, staining, surface marks and general wear. The rear board has particularly noticeable staining and uneven coloration.
There is considerable wear along the upper edges of the boards, including fraying and areas of cloth loss. The head of the spine also shows pronounced wear and fraying. Additional rubbing and wear are present at the corners and lower spine extremity.
The spine retains the original gilt lettering:
Alcoholics Anonymous
and
Works Publishing Company
The gilt remains readily legible.
The binding remains intact.
The interior is considerably cleaner than the exterior. Pages show expected age toning and occasional light spotting or evidence of use, but overall present well for an 80-year-old volume.
The important wartime notice, title page, copyright page identifying the Seventh Printing, and the “Now We Are Fourteen Thousand — January 1945” section are all present and clearly legible.
No significant interior writing or extensive markings are apparent in the photographs provided.
Please review all photographs carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.
Reproduction Dust Jacket
The book is accompanied by a reproduction dust jacket based upon the early First Edition jacket design.
The jacket presents very well and gives the book an attractive period appearance when displayed.
It is important to note that this is not an original 1945 dust jacket and is included strictly as a reproduction.
Book Details
Title: Alcoholics Anonymous
Edition: First Edition
Printing: Seventh Printing
Publication Date: January 1945
Publisher: Works Publishing Inc.
Place: New York City
Printer: The Cornwall Press, Inc., Cornwall, New York
Binding: Original blue cloth
Dust Jacket: Reproduction
Wartime Notice: Present
Page 391: “Now We Are Fourteen Thousand — January 1945”
Collector’s Note
The Seventh Printing is not simply another early First Edition Big Book.
Its significance comes from the circumstances under which it was produced.
The book contains a wartime notice announcing that its physical dimensions had been substantially reduced to conserve paper — yet this printing remained in the larger format. Only one month later, the Eighth Printing appeared in the smaller wartime configuration.
That brief production window has made the Seventh Printing exceptionally difficult to locate relative to most other First Edition printings.
Condition is secondary to scarcity with an issue such as this. Although this example clearly shows the evidence of decades of handling and use, it retains its original binding, complete historical text, wartime notice and the identifying January 1945 Seventh Printing statement.
For collectors attempting to assemble the sixteen printings of the First Edition Big Book, the Seventh is frequently one of the most challenging spaces to fill.
An important wartime printing of Alcoholics Anonymous and a compelling surviving artifact from the early growth of A.A.
