Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book — First Edition, Sixteenth Printing — August 1954 — Original Dust Jacket
The Final Printing of the First Edition Big Book
Offered here is an original First Edition, Sixteenth Printing of Alcoholics Anonymous, published in August 1954 by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc., accompanied by its original red and yellow dust jacket.
The Sixteenth Printing holds a special place in Alcoholics Anonymous publishing history as the final printing of the First Edition Big Book, bringing to a close the original edition that began in April 1939.
The Fifteenth Printing, issued in January 1954, had been intended as the last printing before the introduction of the Second Edition. However, continued demand for the Big Book required another printing in August 1954 to maintain availability until the new edition appeared in 1955.
With a reported production of just 15,700 copies, the Sixteenth Printing represents one of the smaller printing runs of the First Edition.
This final printing marks the end of an important era in A.A. history, preserving the original First Edition text and personal stories that accompanied the Fellowship through its first two decades.
Book Details
- Title: Alcoholics Anonymous
- Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc.
- Edition: First Edition
- Printing: Sixteenth Printing
- Publication Date: August 1954
- Binding: Navy blue cloth hardcover with gilt spine lettering and blind-stamped front cover
- Dust Jacket: Original Sixteenth Printing dust jacket
- Printer: The Cornwall Press, Inc., Cornwall, New York
Condition
Book: Good condition overall. The original navy blue cloth boards retain their color, with moderate rubbing, surface marks, and scattered discoloration. There is wear to the corners and spine ends, including some fraying of the cloth. The gilt spine lettering shows noticeable wear and fading but remains legible.
The binding appears intact, and the photographed interior pages are clean and well preserved, with light age-related toning.
There is a handwritten pencil verse on the rear free endpaper, beginning:
“Poor little wino / Don’t you cry…”
This period-style handwritten verse adds an interesting personal detail to this surviving copy.
Dust Jacket: Original Sixteenth Printing dust jacket in fair condition. The distinctive red and yellow front retains strong color and remains attractive for display.
The jacket shows considerable age-related wear, including rubbing, creasing, edge tears, and scattered chipping. There is more substantial damage and paper loss along the spine, particularly toward the upper portion, with evidence of previous tape repairs or reinforcement visible on the reverse. Additional wear and discoloration appear along the folds and edges.
Both original jacket flaps are present, including the right flap identifying the Sixteenth Printing.
Please review all photographs carefully for exact condition and appearance.
Collector Significance
As the sixteenth and final printing of the First Edition, this volume represents the conclusion of the original Big Book’s publishing history before the revised Second Edition appeared in 1955.
Its relatively small reported printing run, historical position, and surviving original dust jacket make it a desirable addition to a collection of First Edition Big Books.
An original August 1954 Sixteenth Printing, complete with its period dust jacket, offering collectors an opportunity to own the final printing of the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous.
