Alcoholics Anonymous — First Edition, Fourth Printing (1943) | Green Cloth
Offered here is a First Edition, Fourth Printing (March 1943) of Alcoholics Anonymous, commonly known as the Big Book. This copy features the desirable original green cloth binding and is accompanied by a colorful reproduction of the original-style dust jacket.
Published during World War II, the Fourth Printing represents an important period in A.A.’s early history, when the Fellowship was expanding beyond its beginnings in Akron and New York and introducing its program of recovery to communities throughout the country.
Historical Significance
The Fourth Printing was issued in March 1943, with approximately 5,000 copies produced. This printing is associated with two different binding colors: green and navy blue. Traditionally, the green binding is identified with the first approximately 3,500 copies, with the remaining 1,500 bound in blue.
This printing also documents the Fellowship’s rapid early growth through several important textual changes:
- Page 27: The opening of Chapter 2, There Is a Solution, was revised to refer to thousands of men and women rather than the smaller number of members described in earlier printings.
- Page 391: Includes the historical section titled Now We Are Eight Thousand — June, 1943, documenting the growth of Alcoholics Anonymous from approximately 100 members when the Big Book first appeared in 1939.
These changes make the Fourth Printing an especially interesting example of how the Big Book evolved during A.A.’s earliest years.
Book Details
- Title: Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than Eight Thousand Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism
- Publisher: Works Publishing Company, New York
- Edition: First Edition
- Printing: Fourth Printing
- Publication Date: March 1943
- Binding: Original green cloth hardcover with embossed front-cover lettering and gilt spine lettering
- Dust Jacket: Reproduction dust jacket
Condition
Book: Good condition.
The original green cloth binding shows moderate age-related wear, including rubbing, fading, scattered spotting, and wear at the corners and spine ends. The upper spine has some fraying, and the gilt spine lettering remains legible.
There is a handwritten name and address on the front free endpaper. The interior pages show age toning and occasional spotting, consistent with the book’s age. No additional writing or markings are evident in the photographs provided.
The binding remains intact, and the original green cloth retains its distinctive color and embossed lettering.
Dust Jacket: A modern reproduction dust jacket featuring the colorful early Big Book design is included. This is not an original 1943 dust jacket.
Please review all photographs carefully for the most accurate representation of the book’s condition.
Collector Significance
Early First Edition Big Books are important surviving artifacts from the formative years of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Fourth Printing is particularly appealing for its wartime publication, distinctive green binding, and historical textual changes documenting the Fellowship’s remarkable growth.
This 1943 green-cloth copy offers collectors an opportunity to acquire an early First Edition Big Book from a significant period in A.A. publishing history.
