Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition 4th Printing Big Book 1943 – Blue – RDJ

Accession Registry DRM-2026-921

Rarity Classification Ultra-Legendary

Original Publisher & Origin Works Publishing Company, New York

Acquisition Date June 2026

Exhibition Hall: Heritage Archives

Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition 4th Printing Big Book 1943 – Blue – RDJ

Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book)

First Edition — Fourth Printing (March 1943)
Navy Blue Cloth Variant | Works Publishing Company | Reproduction Dust Jacket

Offered here is an authentic First Edition, Fourth Printing (March 1943) of Alcoholics Anonymous—the original “Big Book”—in the navy blue cloth binding. This copy is accompanied by a reproduction dust jacket for attractive shelf display and protection.

The Fourth Printing is a key wartime-era First Edition, capturing A.A.’s explosive early growth and continuing textual evolution as the Fellowship expanded nationwide.

Published in March 1943, the Fourth Printing was a 5,000-copy run and appeared in two cloth variants: green and navy blue.

Collectors prize this printing for its clear “growth markers” in the text:

Every early First Edition printing is a snapshot of A.A. in real time—this one lands at a pivotal point when the Fellowship was becoming a major national force.

Book (Navy Blue Cloth): Good overall.

Interior:

Dust Jacket (Reproduction):

Please review all photos closely—they provide the most accurate representation of condition, cloth wear, spine gilt, and the handwritten name.

A First Edition Fourth Printing (1943) is a cornerstone wartime Big Book, and the navy blue cloth variant is especially desirable for collectors building a full First Edition printing-and-cloth sequence. While original jackets from this era are scarce, a clean reproduction jacket makes for a strong display copy while keeping the book protected on the shelf.