Alcoholics Anonymous.

[WILSON, Bill].

Published by Works Publishing Co., Newark, NJ, 1939

About this Item

Original front board cover + TP + 1 leaf = Index + 1 leaf = Index -- (2) + 1 leaf = Foreword + 1-4 = The Doctor's Opinion + 1-76 + 1 leaf = The Alcoholic Foundation + 1-79 = Personal Stories. [note: with p. 64 printed upside down] + original rear board cover, 8½ " x 11", First Mulitlith Edition ("The Original Manuscript Edition").Copy #2 of the Pre-publication Multilith Printing of Alcoholics AnonymousOwned and Annotated by Jim Burwell -"The New York Atheist"(The Man Who Contributed "God as we understand Him" to the Big Book)[dated by hand: "#2 Copy / Dec. 8, 1938"]In mid-February of 1938, a pre-publication multilithed copy of what, two months later, would become the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous was circulated to members, relatives, friends, ministers, psychologist and doctors for their comments and critiques. The exact number of printed copies is unclear - numbers of 100, 300 and (most commonly) 400 are mentioned in the record. These copies were sent out as "loan" copies with every expectation they would be returned with annotations - after which they would be destroyed. Many copies were returned and disposed of according to this plan, but a handful of others were not - resulting in no more than 50 - and perhaps as few as 25 copies - surviving. WE HAVE A FULL THREE-PAGE DESCRIPTION OF THIS BOOK AND ITS PROVENANCE THAT WILL NOT FIT HERE BECASUSE OF ABE'S RESTRICTIONS ON SIZE. PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY FOR A COPY OF THAT DETAILED WRITE-UP. This copy of the book has been rebound twice. Once at some point Anonymous Book No. 2. of the First Hundred Mimeographed Copies" on the front cover in gilt lettering. By 1993, this second binding was in need of replacement so an identical looking black cloth binding (with exactly the same front cover title information) was created by Ron M. The first black cloth binding has been separately preserved along with the original endpapers from that binding. NOTE that the almost-never-seen red card covers (but not marked "Loan Copy" as some were supposed to have been) are both bound in here. Overall, an amazingly well-preserved and historically important annotated association copy of this major work that has saved the lives of so many people since its publication 75 years ago. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. PRE-PUBLICATION MULTILITH PRINTING - "THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT".

Seller Inventory # 803

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Publisher: Works Publishing Co., Newark, NJ
• Publication Date: 1939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Seller catalogs:
  • Alcoholism