{"product_id":"one-thing-i-know-aj-russell-1933-first-printing-oxford-group","title":"One Thing I Know — A. J. Russell | (1933) First Printing","description":"\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOffered here is a first printing of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e by A. J. Russell, published in July 1933 by Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton of London. This attractive copy retains its original dust jacket and represents an important early publication documenting the Oxford Group, the spiritual movement founded by Frank Buchman that would become closely connected with the origins of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA. J. Russell was one of the Oxford Group’s best-known authors, having achieved considerable international success with his 1932 book \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eFor Sinners Only\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e. Published the following year, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e offers a more personal account of Russell’s experiences, spiritual development, and involvement with the movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eUnlike books written decades later about the Oxford Group, Russell’s account was published during the movement’s early international expansion, providing readers with a contemporary perspective on its people, beliefs, and practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrank Buchman and the Oxford Group\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOne of the most historically interesting aspects of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e is Russell’s firsthand discussion of the Oxford Group and its founder, Frank Buchman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThroughout the book, Russell recounts experiences involving Buchman and other Oxford Group participants, exploring the movement’s emphasis on personal spiritual transformation, confession, witnessing, restitution, and seeking divine guidance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eRussell writes candidly about his own spiritual development, including his initial reluctance to share his experiences publicly. His recollections of Buchman and fellow Oxford Group members provide insight into the personalities and practices that shaped the movement during the early 1930s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe book also examines questions surrounding spiritual guidance, including contemporary discussions about the interpretation of divine direction and the importance of personal judgment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThese accounts make \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e particularly valuable as a firsthand historical resource. Rather than simply explaining the Oxford Group’s principles, Russell provides a personal account of how those principles were practiced and understood by participants in the movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHistorical Connection to Alcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003ePublished in 1933, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e appeared just two years before the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eDuring this period, the Oxford Group was attracting international attention through its meetings, personal testimonies, and published literature. Its principles and practices would subsequently influence several individuals involved in the beginnings of A.A., including Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe Oxford Group’s emphasis on personal inventory, confession, restitution, spiritual guidance, and helping others became part of the spiritual environment from which early Alcoholics Anonymous developed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAlthough A.A. eventually established its own distinct identity and program, the Oxford Group remains an important influence in the Fellowship’s earliest history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eRussell’s writings offer collectors and researchers an opportunity to examine these ideas as they were being discussed and practiced in the years immediately preceding A.A.’s founding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublication History and Collector Significance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e followed the success of Russell’s \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eFor Sinners Only\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, one of the most widely circulated books associated with the Oxford Group during the early 1930s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFirst published in July 1933, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e received additional printings within months of its initial release, reflecting early demand for Russell’s writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe book was also recognized in contemporary discussions of the Oxford Group and subsequently referenced in historical scholarship concerning the movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFor collectors of Oxford Group and early Alcoholics Anonymous literature, the 1933 first printing is particularly appealing. It represents an original publication from the years when the Oxford Group was becoming internationally known, rather than a later historical interpretation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe presence of the original dust jacket adds to the desirability of this copy, particularly for collectors seeking well-preserved examples of early Oxford Group publications.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBook Details\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTitle:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e One Thing I Know\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e A. J. Russell\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton, London\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEdition:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e First Edition\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePrinting:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e First Printing — July 1933\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eYear:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e 1933\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e Hardcover, orange cloth\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDust Jacket:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e Original Dust Jacket\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBook:\u003c\/b\u003e Beautifully preserved hardcover with bright orange cloth boards showing little noticeable exterior wear. The binding is tight, and the interior pages appear clean and well maintained. There are markings on the first blank page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDust Jacket:\u003c\/b\u003e Original dust jacket in good condition, showing age-related edge wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003ePlease review the accompanying photographs for additional details regarding condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCollector’s Notes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne Thing I Know\u003c\/i\u003e is a significant early Oxford Group publication, offering firsthand observations of Frank Buchman, the movement’s spiritual practices, and the religious environment that helped shape the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis attractive 1933 first printing, preserved with its original dust jacket, would make an excellent addition to a collection of Oxford Group literature, early recovery history, or publications documenting the spiritual influences on Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47192422187250,"sku":null,"price":275.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/62636769-A7F9-4700-B583-4A7AD5AA6021.jpg?v=1736289595","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/one-thing-i-know-aj-russell-1933-first-printing-oxford-group","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}