The big book 1939 edition

The name big book is referenced only once in the forward to the second edition but it acknowledged only as a nick name. His is the fourth edition of the book alcoholics anonymous. This special emphasis on the 1939 first edition has a. Our edition reprints the first edition of 1939, which got the enterprise started. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book. The second edition 1955 consisted of 1,150,000 copies. The original 1939 edition is a must have for anyone who has a passion for the history of alcoholics anonymous. The holy grail of aa big book collections heads to auction fine. New stories have been added to the personal histories.

This is the fourth edition of the book alcoholics anonymous. Bob smith, who developed the organizations 12step program. First published in 1939, alcoholics anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. The holy grail of aa big book collections heads to. Big book changes these are the changes that have been made in the program portion of the big book the first 164 pages and the roman numeral pages since it was first published on april 10, 1939. First edition printing dates are given in the first edition big book stories at printing history of the first edition a reproduction of the first printing can be purchased today and it is much taller and thicker than our current big book, although it has fewer pages. The big book was originally published in 1939 by bill w.

It was mandatory to have such notice on each and every copy of the book. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book abebooks. The seventh edition from 1945 is the rarest estimates say 500 to 1,500 copies were issued but noone. There were 16 printings in all between 1939 and 1954. The second part changes because it is the part that consists of personal stories of recovering alcoholics. The big book has gone through numerous editions and remains the most widely used resource for recovering alcoholics. Aa big book pdf read aa books online 12 step store. The pdf book is great for phones and the ebook is perfect for tablets, laptops and desktops. Big book is in very good condition with light wear to spine gold gilding strong on front and spine. The book is published by alcoholics anonymous world services. Fine condition with original dust jacket in fine condition as new a beautiful book. The lois wilson story portrays the story of lois and bill wilson, founders of alanon and alcoholics anonymous. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism is a 1939 basic. The original copy of the big book is up for auction and.

Bill wilson alcoholics anonymous 19391939 first edition. The book belonged to roy scovil of oklahoma city ok, who got sober on december 15, 1942. Works publishing company, april 1939, hardcover 400pp. I feel its important for a recovering alcoholic to encounter the history of aa because they need to know where aa came from and what made and makes alcoholics anonymous tick. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the historic publication of alcoholics anonymous in april 1939, the 20 general service conference approved the creation of this facsimile edition of the first printing of the first edition. B1 alcoholics anonymous fourth edition 2001 of the big book, basic text of a. The numbering of the 2nd reference is from the 2nd through the 4th editions.

First published in 1939, alcoholics anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories. The official publication date of the first printing of our big book, as noted by the united states copyright office, was april 10, 1939. It was printed on thick paper and had wide margins. Its estimated that fewer than 200 copies still remain in their original dust jacket. Informally known as the big book, it has gone through numerous editions, and as. The seller of this book sold on ebay, describes the book as being in. Alcoholics anonymousthe big bookhas served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism.

The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism generally known as the big book is a 1939 basic text, describing how to recover from alcoholism, written by the founders of alcoholics anonymous aa, bill w. Aa first edition first printing april, 1939 big book free u. The second part of the book has changed slightly with the printing of each new edition. Only this original 1939 edition includes all 29 stories of the programs pioneers, which share the details of their full journey, including initial recovery, sometimes followed by relapse and eventual success. Together they founded the alcoholics anonymous aa fellowship. Copyright alcoholics anonymous world services, inc. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and. More than 300,000 copies of the first edition are now in circulation. Originally publiished in 1939, when membership of the a. For easier portability, this is the softcover version of the regular big book. Fellowship was less than one hundred, the first edition of this book has now gone through more than 300,000 copies. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939. The book they published in 1939 sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and describes the stories of men and women who have overcome the addiction. Today it is the most widely used resource for millions of individuals in recovery and the organization has more than 2 million members.

The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. In april 1939, 4,730 copies of the 1st edition of alcoholics anonymous were published. Aa big book myths tidbits and trivia 800 recovery hub blog. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.

The first printing of the first edition was published in april of 1939, followed by 15 more printings up until the release of the 2nd edition in 1955. Alcoholics anonymous carry the message abookman, a book. This is the second edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, which made its first appearance in april 1939. Red cloth wrap with gilt title stamp to boards and spine. It is the first text written about the experiences of the founders of the a. Home read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous this is the fourth edition of the. This conferenceapproved special edition of alcoholics anonymous is a reproduction of the first printing of the first edition of the big book as it was published in 1939. A special booklet, titled a brief history of the big book, in english, spanish and french, will be included with all orders of this commemorative edition big book. Because this book has become the basic text for our society and has helped such large numbers of alcoholic men and women to recovery, there exists a sentiment. I n 1939 the first edition of the basic text of aa was published under the name alcoholics anonymous.

In this series we will be discussing much of the history surrounding the first edition big book. A seventh printing sold for 2,750 several years ago but you are unlikely to find that printing as cheap as that again. There has been a series of reprints and revisions, as well as. Each 1st reference given in red is from the first edition. Alcoholics anonymous was founded in 1935 by bill wilson and dr. Several more expensive copies are available via abebooks. The big book was originally published in 1939 by aa founders bill w. First edition big book 75th anniversary reproduction.

In all, there were 16 printings that each have a story to tell. The recovery program prior to publication of the big book, there were two groups in akron and new york. With publication of the second edition in 1955, the third edition in 1976. The first edition appeared in april 1939, and in the following sixteen years, more than 300,000 copies went into circulation. Aa lore has it that the fellowship was named after the first printing of the big book as aa members call the book that is the heart and soul of the aa program. This was an attempt by bill w to give the impression the purchaser was getting something for the price, which was very high in 1939. Even a stamp loan copy could not legally replace the requested notice.

Bob smith, who developed the organizations twelvestep program. Roy scovill personally asked bob, bill and jim to sign this first edition, firsts printing copy of the big book in the early 50s. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either. No writing or markings to except first blank page where previous owners name was written in pencil and erased. Big book overview alcoholics anonymous or the big book as it is commonly called was first published in 1939 and was subtitled the story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism. The original 1939 edition, i could read the stories that makeup the second part of the first edition. There have been numerous reprints and revisions, in addition to translations into dozens of languages. Only 4,650 copies were printed, this book is an exceptional find, especially in the highly soughtafter original dust jacket.

Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book. The first printing of the first edition was published in april of 1939. The second edition, published in 1955, reached a total of more than 1,150,500 copies. First is a first edition, first printing of the big book from april 1939 in its original jacket, signed by bill wilson. In 1939, they published this volume, which sets forth the cornerstone concepts of recovery and relates stories of those who have overcome alcoholism. Informally known as the big book, it has gone through numerous editions, and as a lifeline to millions worldwide, it is the most widely used resource for recovering alcoholics. Alcoholics anonymous the big book has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. The original 1939 edition of alcoholics anonymous and its. Silkworths name was not added to the the doctors opinion until publication of the 2 nd edition in 1955. This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. The big book of alcoholics anonymous is a big deal and the originals worth big bucks. Many thousands have benefited from the big book and its simple but profound explanation of the doctrines behind alcoholics anonymous, which was founded in 1935 by bill wilson and dr. Detailsfourth edition 2001 of the big book, basic text of a.