{"product_id":"alcoholics-anonymous-first-edition-6th-printing-from-1944-with-odj-3","title":"Alcoholics Anonymous — First Edition, Sixth Printing (June 1944) With Original Dust Jacket","description":"\u003ch3 data-start=\"237\" data-end=\"284\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"241\" data-end=\"282\"\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous — The “Big Book”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"285\" data-end=\"414\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"285\" data-end=\"330\"\u003eFirst Edition, Sixth Printing (June 1944)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"330\" data-end=\"333\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"333\" data-end=\"362\"\u003eWith Original Dust Jacket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"362\" data-end=\"365\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"365\" data-end=\"414\"\u003ePublished by Works Publishing, Inc., New York\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"285\" data-end=\"414\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"425\" data-end=\"440\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"442\" data-end=\"666\"\u003eThis is the Sixth Printing of the First Edition (June 1944) of \u003cem data-start=\"509\" data-end=\"612\"\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism\u003c\/em\u003e — known affectionately worldwide as “the Big Book.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"668\" data-end=\"1093\"\u003eThis 1944 printing marks a significant milestone in A.A. publishing history. Only 5,000 copies were printed, all bound in navy-blue cloth, which became the standard color for the remainder of the First Edition printings. Earlier printings featured various shades of red, green, royal blue, and baby blue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1095\" data-end=\"1418\"\u003eA subtle but important production change also occurred at this point: the book’s thickness was reduced due to a change in paper stock. The first five printings are slightly heavier and thicker, while the Sixth and Seventh share this streamlined format — before a more noticeable size reduction in the Eighth Printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"1425\" data-end=\"1461\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1429\" data-end=\"1461\"\u003ePhysical Details \u0026amp; Condition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1465\" data-end=\"1514\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1465\" data-end=\"1479\"\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Works Publishing, Inc., New York\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1538\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1526\"\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 1944\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1541\" data-end=\"1607\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1541\" data-end=\"1554\"\u003ePrinting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sixth Printing of the First Edition (5,000 copies)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1610\" data-end=\"1666\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1610\" data-end=\"1622\"\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Navy-blue cloth with gilt spine lettering\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1669\" data-end=\"1820\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1669\" data-end=\"1685\"\u003eDust Jacket:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original multicolor jacket present — showing edge wear, small tears, and minor paper loss but retaining strong color and full design\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1822\" data-end=\"1897\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1822\" data-end=\"1836\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1836\" data-end=\"1839\"\u003eThis copy is in Very Good condition overall. Navy cloth boards are clean with minimal rubbing; corners lightly bumped. Gilt lettering on the spine bright and legible. No handwriting or markings inside. Binding tight and square; pages show expected gentle age toning. Original dust jacket shows moderate edge wear typical of surviving wartime jackets, yet remains complete and highly displayable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2403\" data-end=\"2549\"\u003eA remarkably well-preserved example of this scarce wartime printing — over 80 years old and still structurally sound, crisp, and attractive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"2556\" data-end=\"2587\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2560\" data-end=\"2587\"\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2589\" data-end=\"2861\"\u003eThe Sixth Printing (June 1944) of the Big Book was published during World War II, a time when paper rationing and printing restrictions severely limited book production. With just 5,000 copies released, it is among the scarcer printings of the First Edition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2863\" data-end=\"3212\"\u003eBy mid-1944, membership in Alcoholics Anonymous had grown from a few thousand to nearly 20,000 members, and the Fellowship was beginning to take root internationally. Each First Edition printing tells a part of that early growth story, and this Sixth Printing stands at the crossroads between A.A.’s pioneering phase and its \"coming of age\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"3219\" data-end=\"3243\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3223\" data-end=\"3243\"\u003eCollector’s Note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3245\" data-end=\"3482\"\u003eCopies of the 1944 Sixth Printing with their original dust jackets intact are seldom encountered. Many surviving books were well-used by early members or circulated through group libraries, often losing their jackets along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3484\" data-end=\"3679\"\u003eThis example, with its clean boards, bright gilt lettering, and original jacket, represents an exceptional piece for collectors of A.A. first editions or students of early recovery history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3681\" data-end=\"3794\"\u003eA true artifact from Alcoholics Anonymous’s foundational decade — authentic, scarce, and beautifully preserved.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49066086039794,"sku":null,"price":6500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/C1A08E3C-B3E5-448C-98C3-94D5EF344745.jpg?v=1776314892","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/alcoholics-anonymous-first-edition-6th-printing-from-1944-with-odj-3","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}