Alcoholics Anonymous — Second Edition, Seventh Printing — 1965
Original Dust Jacket | Early Second Edition Big Book
Offered here is a Second Edition, Seventh Printing (1965) of Alcoholics Anonymous, the foundational text of the Fellowship commonly known as the Big Book. Published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., this copy retains its original blue dust jacket.
The Seventh Printing was published during an important period in Alcoholics Anonymous history, as the Fellowship celebrated its 30th anniversary and continued its remarkable growth throughout the United States and internationally.
When the original Big Book appeared in 1939, A.A. consisted of fewer than one hundred members. By the introduction of the Second Edition in 1955, membership had grown to more than 150,000, with thousands of groups established around the world.
The Second Edition reflected this transformation. While preserving the original program of recovery contained in the first 164 pages, the revised book introduced a new Foreword, expanded historical material, and a substantially revised collection of personal recovery stories.
By 1965, Alcoholics Anonymous had grown into an international fellowship with hundreds of thousands of members. That same year, A.A. celebrated its 30th anniversary at the International Convention in Toronto, Canada.
This Seventh Printing represents that significant period in the Fellowship’s history, three decades after the historic meeting between Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio, in 1935.
An Original 1965 Dust Jacket
An important feature of this copy is its original blue Second Edition dust jacket, retaining the familiar cream-colored lettering and circle-and-triangle emblem associated with the Big Book.
Like other Second Edition jackets, it includes an interesting feature intended to protect the anonymity of its owner. Readers were encouraged to turn the jacket inside out when carrying the book publicly, concealing its identifying cover.
This distinctive design reflects the importance of personal anonymity within A.A.’s traditions and remains an interesting feature of early Big Book dust jackets.
Book Details
Title: Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism
Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., New York
Edition: Second Edition, New and Revised
Printing: Seventh Printing
Year: 1965
Binding: Original blue cloth hardcover with gilt spine lettering
Dust Jacket: Original blue Second Edition dust jacket
Signed: No
Condition
Very good hardcover with its original dust jacket.
The original blue cloth boards are well preserved, showing light handling wear consistent with age. The gilt spine lettering remains attractive, and the binding is intact.
The interior pages are generally clean and well preserved, with light age-related toning.
The original dust jacket shows rubbing, scuffing, and edge wear, including small tears and creasing around the corners and spine ends. Despite this wear, the jacket retains its original design and remains an attractive example.
Please review all photographs carefully for the exact condition.
Collector Significance
Early printings of the Second Edition Big Book document an important period in the development and worldwide expansion of Alcoholics Anonymous.
This 1965 Seventh Printing is particularly interesting for its publication during A.A.’s 30th anniversary year, when the Fellowship gathered in Toronto to celebrate three decades of recovery.
Accompanied by its original dust jacket, this copy offers collectors an appealing example from the early years of the Second Edition’s publication history.
A desirable addition to a collection of Alcoholics Anonymous Big Books and recovery history.
