Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) — First Edition, First Printing (April 1939)

Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) — First Edition, First Printing (April 1939)

Works Publishing Company · New York City · 1939

Red Cloth Binding · With Reproduction “Circus” Dust Jacket

Overview

Offered here is an original First Edition, First Printing (April 1939) of Alcoholics Anonymous—the foundational “Big Book” that launched A.A. and helped shape recovery history worldwide. The first printing is the earliest and most historically important edition of A.A. literature, produced in extremely limited numbers and famously printed in an oversized format that helped earn it the nickname “The Big Book.”

This copy is housed in a high-quality reproduction of the iconic red-and-yellow “circus” dust jacket design created from Ray Campbell’s original concept. (The original jacket is rarely found surviving today.)

Why the First Printing Matters

The First Printing represents the very beginning of A.A. in print—issued when the Fellowship was still tiny and operating with minimal resources. Collectors prize these earliest copies for their connection to A.A.’s founding era and for the numerous first-printing characteristics that distinguish them from later editions.

First Printing Identification Notes (Key Points)

This 1939 First Printing is recognizable by classic first-printing features, including:

• Red cloth binding (all first printings were bound in red cloth)

• “Doctor’s Opinion” begins on page 1 (later editions moved this to the Roman numeral section)

• The well-known typographical repetition on page 234 (a first printing error corrected in later printings)

• Original first-edition story lineup, including “Lone Endeavor” (the Pat Cooper/Ruth Hock story found in the First Printing only), and Ray Campbell’s “An Artist’s Concept” describing the jacket design

Edition Details

Title: Alcoholics Anonymous (“Big Book”)

Edition/Printing: First Edition, First Printing (April 1939)

Publisher: Works Publishing Company, New York City

Format: Hardcover (red cloth)

Dust Jacket: Reproduction “circus” dust jacket included

Condition

Overall: Fair to Good (a solid, intact example of a scarce 1939 first printing)

Boards/Cloth: Noticeable wear and soiling/staining consistent with age and use; fading and spotting visible (see photos).

Lettering: Front-cover gilt is present but worn/faded.

Interior: Penciled underlining present through approximately the first ~90 pages, with a few additional light markings elsewhere. Pages show age-toning.

Completeness: Complete with no missing pages.

Please review all photos carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.