Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition — 7th Printing, January 1945 | Exceptionally Rare Wartime Big Book
Offered here is an exceptionally scarce Seventh Printing of the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, published by Works Publishing Inc. in January 1945.
Among the sixteen printings of the First Edition Big Book, the Seventh Printing has long been regarded by collectors as one of the rarest and most difficult printings to locate. Its scarcity, unusual physical characteristics, and place in the transition to the smaller wartime Big Book make it one of the most fascinating printings in the publication history of Alcoholics Anonymous.
This copy is accompanied by a reproduction dust jacket.
The Rare Seventh Printing
The Seventh Printing was published in January 1945, as identified on the copyright page.
By this time, World War II had created severe shortages of book paper throughout the United States. Publishers were required to conserve materials, and Works Publishing had already been forced to reduce the weight of the paper used to produce Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Seventh Printing contains an unusual “IMPORTANT NOTICE” near the beginning of the book:
“This is a war time printing and is complete and unabridged in contents.”
The notice explains that while the typeface remained unchanged, the book had been intended to be drastically reduced in size and weight in order to comply with government regulations for conserving paper.
Yet this is what makes the Seventh Printing so interesting: despite carrying the wartime notice, the Seventh Printing remained in the larger format of the preceding First Edition Big Books.
A copy of a Works Publishing letter dated February 12, 1945, provides remarkable historical context for this transition. In the letter, Works Publishing secretary Margaret R. Burger explained that, because of the acute shortage of book paper and requirements of the War Production Board, the weight of the paper used in Alcoholics Anonymous had repeatedly been reduced.
Further reductions were now necessary, and Works Publishing announced that it would have to “sharply cut the overall size of the book by trimming margins to a minimum.” The same printing plates could still be used, allowing the typeface to remain readable.
The familiar smaller-format wartime Big Book would follow.
The January 1945 Seventh Printing therefore occupies a fascinating transitional position: it contains the wartime notice announcing a reduced book, yet was still produced in the earlier large format immediately before the change to the smaller wartime format.
How Rare Is the Seventh Printing?
The exact number of Seventh Printings produced is unknown.
For many years, A.A. collectors and historians have suggested that only a few hundred copies may have been printed, with estimates sometimes placed at approximately 300–500 copies. Because definitive production records confirming that number are not known, this figure should be regarded as a historical collector estimate rather than an established print quantity.
What is clear is the extraordinary scarcity of surviving Seventh Printings.
Compared with most other First Edition printings, they surface remarkably infrequently. For collectors attempting to assemble the complete printing history of the First Edition Big Book, the Seventh is often one of the most challenging volumes to acquire.
A.A. Reaches 14,000 Members
This printing also captures Alcoholics Anonymous during a remarkable period of growth.
When the original Big Book appeared in April 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous consisted of approximately 100 members.
The title page of this January 1945 printing now reads:
“The Story of How More Than Fourteen Thousand Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism.”
Near the end of the book appears the important section:
“NOW WE ARE FOURTEEN THOUSAND — JANUARY 1945.”
In less than six years, the small fellowship behind the original 1939 Big Book had grown from approximately 100 members to some 14,000.
The Seventh Printing therefore represents more than simply a scarce variation of the Big Book. It is a physical artifact from a brief moment when the rapidly expanding fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous was confronting the material realities of wartime America.
Condition
This original 1945 Seventh Printing is in good collectible condition, showing honest evidence of age, handling, and use.
The original dark cloth boards show general wear, including rubbing, scuffing, fading, and surface marks. There is additional wear and fraying at the corners and at the head and foot of the spine. The gilt “Alcoholics Anonymous” and Works Publishing Company lettering remains visible on the spine.
The interior shows age toning but remains generally clean and readable. There is wear along the interior binding, particularly toward the front of the book.
There is underlining and handwritten marking throughout portions of the book, including passages in the Foreword, The Doctor’s Opinion, Bill’s Story, There Is a Solution, We Agnostics, and How It Works. These markings make clear that this was a Big Book that was actually read and studied.
The front endpaper contains a handwritten presentation inscription:
“To Hazel Keeley from Jack Davies 11-10-67”
along with additional light pencil notation.
There is also a handwritten notation at the bottom of the important “Now We Are Fourteen Thousand — January 1945” page.
Rather than an untouched shelf copy, this is an early Big Book with the character of a volume that was used, studied, underlined, and passed along during its lifetime.
The book is accompanied by the attractive reproduction dust jacket shown in the photographs.
Please view all photographs carefully for the complete condition of this book.
Collector Significance
Few individual Big Book printings combine rarity, wartime history, and A.A. history quite like the Seventh Printing.
Published in January 1945, carrying its unusual wartime notice, documenting the growth of Alcoholics Anonymous to approximately 14,000 members, and appearing immediately before the transition to the reduced wartime format, the Seventh Printing occupies a brief and distinctive place in the history of Alcoholics Anonymous.
For the serious First Edition Big Book collector, this is one of the printings that can prove exceptionally difficult to find.
An opportunity to acquire one of the most elusive printings of the First Edition Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book.
