Three 1949 Unique Printings of The Little Red Book
Here is a package of three 1949 Unique Printings of The Little Red Book.
In 1949, Coll-Webb, publisher of The Little Red Book, ran into printing errors on page 62. There were two lines of text at the top of the page which were printed upside down causing Coll-Webb to scramble for solutions. One fix, was that they removed the page from the book and inserted a corrected version of page 62 in the book. Some uncorrected copies made it into the public. As well as a new 1949 printing that was printed correctly with no errors was released. In this package, you will find all three 1949 printings!
Book One is the version with page 62 removed from the book and a new page with the error corrected adhered in its place.
Book Two does not feature any changes to page 62 but the two lines of text at the top of the page are printed upside down.
Book Three was printed with no errors.
Learn more of the history behind The Little Red Book:
An Interpretation Of The Twelve Steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program was first published in 1946. Besides the AA Big Book, this was the very first and only other book published at the time that was about the AA program. This book gained popularity in the AA community and took on the nickname “The Little Red Book”.
"An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program" by Ed Webster, is a seminal work that delves into the foundational principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program.
In this book, Webster provides a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of each of the twelve steps outlined in the Alcoholics Anonymous program. These steps are the core framework for recovery from alcoholism and have since become the basis for many other twelve-step programs addressing various addictions and behavioral issues.
A.A. urban legends credit Dr. Bob Smith with having a hand in the writing of this book, but there is no contemporary evidence to support this contention. What is known for certain is that the book was a favorite among Ohio A.A. members once it was released and it continues to be an excellent introduction to effectively working the Twelve Steps - suitable for both newcomers and oldtimers.
In the writing of this book, Ed Webster was likely influenced and received input from Bill Wilson as there was communication between Ed Webster and Bill around the time this book was written. Also, the 3rd copy of the "Little Red Book" that came off the press was inscribed and dedicated by Ed Webster to Bobbie Burger, AA's secretary and assistant to Bill W.
The book was nicknamed “The Little Red Book,” and eventually adopted that as its official name printed on the cover of later printings of the book which started in 1949.
The author of this book, Ed Webster, got sober in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941. He and Barry Collins formed their own publishing company, called Coll-Webb Co. which distributed The Little Red Book and others to members of AA until Ed's death in 1971.
The popularity of "The Little Red Book" in the 1940's and early 1950's was a contributing factor in Bill Wilson's desire to write and have AA publish "The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" book which was published in 1953.
Please view all of the photos for the conditions!