Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (1957)

First Edition, First Printing — Inscribed by Bill Wilson

This is a first edition, first printing (H-G code) of Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, published in 1957 by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. It includes the original dust jacket and features a warm, personal inscription written and signed by Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Inscribed first printings of this landmark AA history are scarce and deeply prized among collectors.

Inside the front endpaper, Bill W. has written:

“Dear Forrist & Merle:
This, in affectionate remembrance of the old days — and of you!
Gratefully, Bill
NY 9/29/57”

This is classic Bill Wilson—personal, reflective, and full of gratitude. The date places the inscription only two years after the 1955 St. Louis Convention, the event at the heart of the book and the moment AA formally “came of age.”

Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age remains one of the most important historical works in AA literature. Bill Wilson tells the full story of AA’s development, from its earliest meetings in Akron and New York to its expansion across the country and eventually the world. Most significantly, the book documents the transfer of AA’s guidance from its founders to the General Service Conference, a moment that secured AA’s long-term principles of unity, recovery, and service. It stands as both a historical record and a spiritual reflection on the growth of the Fellowship.

This copy retains its original 1957 dust jacket, showing typical age wear: edge creasing, small tears, and some staining along the lower front panel. The boards show rubbing and noticeable wear along the top edges, but the binding remains solid and square. The interior is clean and free of writing except for Bill’s inscription. Toning appears on the endpapers, and a vintage newspaper clipping remains with the book.

Signed copies of AA Comes of Age are far less common than signed Big Books, and examples from the year of publication—especially on the first printing—are exceptionally desirable. With its inscription, jacket, early dating, and overall condition, this volume represents a significant and highly collectible piece of AA history, suitable for collectors, recovery archives, and anyone preserving the story of AA’s foundation and evolution.

Please review all photographs for the most accurate representation of condition, including the jacket, boards, inscription, and interior pages.