Accession Registry
DRM-2026-916
Rarity Classification
Ultra-Legendary
Original Publisher & Origin
Works Publishing Company, New York
Acquisition Date
June 2026
Exhibition Hall: Heritage Archives
Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition — Fourth Printing (March 1943) – Navy Blue Cloth Variant With Original Dust Jacket
First Edition — Fourth Printing (March 1943)
Navy Blue Cloth Variant | Works Publishing Company | Original Dust Jacket
Offered here is an authentic First Edition, Fourth Printing (March 1943) of Alcoholics Anonymous—the original “Big Book” issued during a pivotal wartime period, when the Fellowship’s growth was accelerating and the text continued to evolve with experience.
This copy is the navy blue cloth variant, a desirable binding variation within the Fourth Printing, and it is complete with its original dust jacket—a major point of collector value for any early First Edition Big Book.
The Fourth Printing captures Alcoholics Anonymous in the middle of rapid expansion. By 1943, the message had moved far beyond the “hundreds” and into the “thousands,” and that growth is reflected directly in the text:
In “There Is a Solution” (p. 27) the wording advances to “thousands of men and women…”, mirroring the Fellowship’s expanding reach.
The membership page updates again: in this printing, p. 391 reads “Now We Are Eight Thousand.”
Each early First Edition printing is a snapshot in time—this one documents A.A.’s swift rise in its own language.
Publisher: Works Publishing Company, New York City
Copyright page: lists First Printing (April 1939), Second Printing (March 1941), Third Printing (June 1942), Fourth Printing (March 1943)
Title page date: 1943
First Edition format: original First Edition typography/layout and early content sequence consistent with pre–Second Edition printings
Cloth variant: Navy Blue
Book (Navy Blue Cloth): Excellent overall. Navy cloth presents very clean and well-preserved with only light, age-appropriate handling. Spine gilt remains bright and highly legible (“Alcoholics Anonymous” and “Works Publishing Company”). Binding appears tight and solid; boards remain crisp and square.
Interior: Pages show expected age toning, but remain clean and readable. No writing or owner markings noted.
Dust Jacket (Original): Original jacket present and displayable. Shows edge wear and small tears with light soiling/handling, consistent with a surviving early jacket from this era.
Please review all photos closely—especially the jacket edges and folds—as the images provide the most accurate representation of condition and wear.
A Fourth Printing First Edition with an original dust jacket is always a standout, as jackets from this period were commonly discarded, torn, or replaced. The navy blue cloth variant adds another layer of desirability for collectors building a cloth-and-printing sequence across the First Edition years—especially when paired with a clean, structurally strong book like this example.
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