History & item details
The appeal of this grouping is the chance to follow a writer’s changing perspective rather than encounter one title in isolation. The Big Bender appeared in 1938, before the first publication of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939. Its discussion of recovery belongs to the period in which personal testimony, spiritual change and practical help between alcoholics were finding a wider readership. The later titles carry that conversation into the 1940s, as public understanding of alcoholism continued to develop.
The Big Bender, published by Harper & Brothers and illustrated by Orson Hawkes, states “First Edition” on its copyright page. The front endpaper contains Clapp’s lengthy inscription to Mildred, dated August 15, 1938. It refers to people who had seen, heard and remembered episodes related in the book—an engaging, personal addition to this particular copy. An illustrated reproduction dust jacket is included.
Drunks Are Square Pegs is the Island Press edition of 1942, in brown cloth. It carries a separate Clapp signature and a handwritten 1942 date. Drinking’s Not the Problem, published by Thomas Y. Crowell in 1949, completes the group in black cloth with its illustrated jacket. No author signature is shown in that third volume.
For a collection devoted to the literature surrounding early A.A., this set offers both a sequence of period publications and the direct interest of two author-signed copies. The three photographed volumes are offered together; no association with Bill Wilson’s personal library or other named historical collections is claimed.
Details of This Copy
- Three books sold as one lot
- The Big Bender — Harper & Brothers, 1938; stated First Edition; author-inscribed and dated August 15, 1938; reproduction dust jacket included
- Drunks Are Square Pegs — Island Press, 1942; signed and dated in 1942; no jacket
- Drinking’s Not the Problem — Thomas Y. Crowell, 1949; jacket included; not offered as signed
Condition
The Big Bender has substantial cover wear and staining, including conspicuous pale patches on the boards and wear along the spine, joints and extremities. Its endpapers and pages are toned and spotted, with staining visible near the edges; the inscription remains clearly legible. Its reproduction jacket shows wear. Drunks Are Square Pegs shows cloth rubbing, edge and corner wear, and pronounced browning, spotting and staining to the endpapers. Drinking’s Not the Problem shows lighter cloth wear and page toning, with a small pencil notation; its jacket has rubbing, edge tears and chipping. The photographs document each volume separately. The seller reports no odors in these books.
Please review all photographs for the condition of the specific item offered.
