Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition 6th Printing from 1963 - ODJ

Alcoholics Anonymous — Second Edition, Sixth Printing (1963) with Original Dust Jacket

Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Publication Year: 1963

Printer: The Cornwall Press, Inc., Cornwall, N.Y.

Edition: Second Edition, Sixth Printing

Binding: Blue cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, blind-stamped title to front cover

Dust Jacket: Original, dark blue with cream lettering

Jacket Code: 50M–663(C) (indicating the 6th printing dust jacket)

Description: This is the Sixth Printing (1963) of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book — the foundational text of the A.A. fellowship, first published in 1939. This copy retains its original dust jacket, which shows chipping and tearing along the top edge and spine, with some loss, but remains largely intact and legible.

The book itself is in very good condition, with clean, tight pages and minimal wear to the boards. There is handwriting on the inside of the front cover with no other markings inside. A well-preserved early printing of the Second Edition, increasingly scarce with its original jacket.

Historical Note

When the Second Edition was released in 1955, A.A. had grown from a small fellowship of fewer than 100 members to a global movement. The new edition expanded the Personal Stories section to reflect the diversity of A.A. membership, adding over 110,000 words of new material.

A special anonymity notice appeared on all Second Edition jackets: “If you wish to preserve complete personal anonymity when carrying this book, just turn this jacket inside out. It has been especially designed for your convenience.”