{"product_id":"twelve-steps-twelve-traditions-1953-first-printing-harper-brothers-original-dust-jacket","title":"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions — First Printing (1953) Harper \u0026 Brothers Edition — Original Dust Jacket","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOffered here is a scarce \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1953 First Printing of \u003cb\u003eTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in the Harper \u0026amp; Brothers issue\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, complete with its original green-and-black dust jacket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis is one of the more interesting publishing variants from the early history of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e was an A.A. publication, an arrangement was made with Harper \u0026amp; Brothers to bring Bill W.’s new book to the general reading public through bookstores and other non-A.A. outlets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe result was two distinctly different presentations of the same landmark book: the familiar edition distributed through Alcoholics Anonymous and this much less commonly encountered Harper issue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA.A. Reaches Beyond the Fellowship\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Harper arrangement came at an important moment in A.A.’s development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIn January 1953, while the manuscript was still being prepared, Bill Wilson wrote that Harper had made a favorable proposal to act as distributor of the forthcoming volume to the outside public. He emphasized that the arrangement would not compromise A.A.’s ownership of the book or its distribution within the Fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eLater that year, the Final Report of the Third General Service Conference recorded that the Trustees had approved Harper \u0026amp; Brothers as distributor of Bill’s new book to non-A.A. outlets. The report specifically noted that A.A. retained full ownership of the copyright and remained the actual publisher.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThat distinction makes the Harper issue especially interesting today. It represents A.A.’s deliberate effort to make one of its foundational texts available beyond meetings, groups, and General Service Headquarters and place it before a broader public audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIdentifying the Harper First Printing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis copy contains the distinctive features associated with the Harper issue:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOriginal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003egreen-and-black striped Harper \u0026amp; Brothers dust jacket\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJacket price of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e$2.75\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFront jacket statement: \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous tells how members recover and how the society functions.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRear jacket panel reproducing material from A.A.’s \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1951 Lasker Award citation\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhite paper-covered boards with a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eblack cloth spine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSilver spine lettering reading \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHARPER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTitle page naming the author simply as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Anonymous”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eImprint reading \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Harper \u0026amp; Brothers, New York — By Arrangement with Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCopyright page stating \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“FIRST EDITION D-C”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Harper binding and jacket are immediately recognizable beside the separately distributed A.A. Publishing version, making the two editions particularly enjoyable to collect together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis copy retains its \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eoriginal 1953 Harper \u0026amp; Brothers dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe dust jacket shows honest age and shelf wear, including rubbing, edge wear, small chips and short tears, with the greatest wear concentrated along the upper edge, corners, folds, and spine ends. Despite the wear, the jacket remains substantially complete and displays very well, with strong green-and-black coloring and clear lettering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe book itself remains attractive. The light-colored boards show age toning and scattered spotting, more noticeably on the rear board and near the outer edges. The black cloth spine remains strong, with the silver lettering still bright and clearly readable. There is light wear at the spine ends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe endpapers and preliminary leaves show age toning and scattered foxing\/spotting consistent with a book of this period. Interior pages show general age toning with occasional spotting. The binding appears sound and the book presents well overall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ePlease review all photographs closely for the exact condition of this copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Foundational A.A. Book — In an Uncommon Form\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFirst published in 1953, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e gave A.A. members Bill W.’s extended essays on each of the Twelve Steps and the first book-length treatment of the Twelve Traditions that had become essential to the unity and survival of the Fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFor collectors, however, the Harper issue tells an additional story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIt captures the moment when Alcoholics Anonymous was mature enough not only to publish literature for its own rapidly growing membership, but also to intentionally place that literature before the outside world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWith its dramatically different binding, distinctive original jacket, “Anonymous” title-page attribution, and direct connection to A.A.’s brief publishing relationship with Harper \u0026amp; Brothers, this \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1953 Harper First Printing\u003c\/span\u003e is a particularly desirable companion to the A.A. Publishing issue and an important piece of early Alcoholics Anonymous publishing history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49925852266738,"sku":null,"price":2500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/00D38DEC-AA67-44A5-8F15-1038E83BB4B3.jpg?v=1786762725","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/twelve-steps-twelve-traditions-1953-first-printing-harper-brothers-original-dust-jacket","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}