Original listing · Historical record
Remembering Dr. Bob and the Early Fellowship
Dr. Bob’s place in A.A. history extends beyond the account of his own recovery. This book combines his biography with the recollections of early members, preserving the people, places and experiences through which the Fellowship developed in Akron and the Midwest. Its appeal lies in those personal voices: the everyday work of one alcoholic helping another becomes the story of a growing Fellowship.
The book first appeared in 1980. Contemporary A.A. news reported that it was available at the New Orleans Superdome during the International Convention and that purchasers were offered a commemorative bookplate. This copy retains a bookplate naming that convention, July 3–6, 1980, linking its presentation to the year the biography was introduced.
For a recovery-history library, a first printing offers the pleasure of encountering a familiar title in its original publication form. The convention bookplate adds another layer: a reminder of the Fellowship gathering to celebrate the history the book was helping preserve.
The Bookplate in This Copy
The printed convention bookplate is personalized “For the Library of Les Stewart” and carries an additional handwritten message. Its New Orleans identification and anniversary dates are shown in the photographs. The original illustrated jacket and pictorial endpapers complete an appealing example of the book’s early presentation.
Publication Details
- Title: Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers
- Printing: First printing, 1980, as stated
- Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., New York
- Manufacture: Printed in the United States
- ISBN: 0-916856-07-0
- Copy feature: Convention bookplate naming Les Stewart
- Dust jacket: Original illustrated brown jacket
Condition
Book: Light rubbing and wear appear at the extremities, with light interior toning. The convention bookplate names Les Stewart and bears a handwritten “Love You” message with names beneath it; the writers have not been identified.
Original dust jacket: Rubbing, scuffing, creasing and edge wear are visible, with small tears around the corners and spine ends. Please review the photographs, including the jacket spread at the end of the gallery, for this copy’s condition.
