Size and Weight of 1st Edition "Big Book"

jelODG · Member

Size and Weight of 1st Edition "Big Book"

barisax · Senior Member

A few years ago someone published a re-issue of the 1st edition. I don't have one but I remember seeing a few. Most distinctly it had a bright red and yellow dust jacket as opposed to the blue cover of the 3rd and 4th. Not sure what the second looks like. I don't think it was any larger than a hardcover version of the then-current 3rd edition, but that doesn't mean the original printing was the same physical size.

Barisax

Klaatu · Senior Member

A close friend of mine has an original first edition of the BB that has been handed down from sponsor to sponsee since the beginning. The size hasn't changed, although the # of pages has. As far as weight, I have no idea. Back in the day it was referred to as the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (even though it was the only book for a while). Seems like somewhere along the way it got shortened to simply the Big Book. It really had nothing to do with the physical size of the book.

K.....

-- Edited by Klaatu on Wednesday 8th of December 2010 06:35:52 PM

-- Edited by Klaatu on Wednesday 8th of December 2010 06:36:48 PM

jelODG · Member

I currently own a 2nd edition that was published in 1955. It is the tenth printing (1969). It is the same 8 1/2" L X 5 3/4"W as the 3rd and 4th. It is the same thickness(1 5/8") as the 3rd edition. The 4th edition (2001) is only 1 1/2" inches thick, due to thinner paper. The first edition I saw 10 years ago was about the same size as the "Large Print", soft cover version we have today, first published in that form in 1990. I have one of those and I bet it is close to the 1st's size ( just thought of that).I have read, the paper the 1st edition was printed on was very thick because it was less costly then. I'm sure it was "thicker" than the 1 9/16" large print book of today. Still would like to know dimensions of 1939 copy. Thanks. Keep comin' back!-jelODG

jelODG · Member

I respectfully disagree. In the AA books "pass it on" and "AA comes of Age" it distinctly mentions the enormous size of the book and as a result was often called "the BIG book" Check it out. I would like to here from an Oldtimer whose sponsor may have had a first edition.

jelODG · Member

I saw a beat up first edition online for $1,200 yesterday, while seaching for my answer. Rare book sites have some beat up ones but no prices or shipping weights.

Klaatu · Senior Member

I don't know about what it says in those books about the size, but I HAVE held a 1st 3rd in my hands and if there was a difference, I was not able to tell just by holding it. I'll have my friend measure his tomorrow.

K.....

LinBaba · MIP Old Timer

	Origin of term "Big Book" and why was it called that?

Question:	How did the AA Big Book get the name of the Big Book. On pages 242-243 of the Lois W. Story, When Love Is Not Enough; A Biography of the Co-Founder of Al-Anon by William G. Borchert it mentions that a person named Hank recommended a heavy thick paper for its perceived worth. I had read somewhere that Ebby T. had the idea of using the thicker paper. Lois is mentioned to have referred to this bulky book as The Big Book. What is the true origin?

Answer:	The first printing of the first edition on The Big Book is almost exactly 2 inches thick. It was indeed printed on unusually heavy paper. The Hank referred to in The Lois W. story would be Henry (Hank) P. Hank and Bill W. were among the small group to oversee the printing of the book. Since they wanted to sell the book for $3.50 each they wanted the book to be big so people would feel they were getting their money's worth. Adjusted for inflation that would be the same as charging $48.50 in 2007. In some countries they continue to charge $48 for the book. Hank and Bill asked the printer to use the thickest paper that had and the book also used very large margins. They wanted it to be a "big book" so it would seem only natural that they referred to it as "The Big Book" There is an article on the subject at: http://www.barefootsworld.net/aabigbook1939.html Why We Call It The Big Book A printer in Cornwall, NY, named Edward Blackwell, had been highly recommended to Bill Wilson. Blackwell was the President of Cornwall Press. So Bill and Hank Parkhurst (author of the personal story "The Unbeliever" in the first edition of the Big Book) went to Cornwall to see Blackwell. There they were told that the book would probably be only about four hundred pages when printed. That seemed a bit skimpy. They wanted to sell the book for $3.50 per copy. That was a very large sum in those days, probably the equivalent of about $50 today, and people might not think they were getting their money's worth. They picked the cheapest, thickest paper the printer had, and requested that each page be printed with unusually large margins surrounding the text. This made for an unusually large book. Thus, the book came to be nicknamed the "Big Book." First Edition Big Books For Sale with Descriptions

-- Edited by LinBaba on Wednesday 8th of December 2010 09:37:33 PM

TwelveSteps · Senior Member

I learned at one point that they decided to print it on such thick paper so you could spill a drink on it and it would still be legible -- they knew their audience! Don't know if that's true though.

GG

angelov8 · MIP Old Timer

I am currently reading AA Comes of Age and the information in Lin Baba's post is the same. No specifics on weight or size tho. I think at the very first printing they only did 500 copies. It was very iffy that the money was gonna come through, and the whole details on getting those sold and how AA took off, requiring more printings(on slimmer paper) is really interesting. I've never seen an actual first printing of the first edition for sale on Ebay or otherwise. Neat you saw one. Is there an AA "museum" in Akron or NY?

angelov8 · MIP Old Timer

You know I was just reading that section about the creation of the BB about all the trials and uncertainty last night and what amazes me is how lucky I am today that it worked out the way it did.
The greatest thing is that AA owns the rights full out to the book, because initially it wasn't going to be that way. The traditions were no where in exsistance, and there was a lot of learning regarding the royalties and such.
The (non-alcoholic, I believe) secretary, Ruth Hock who typed and typed to prepare the material for the printer and helped AA enormously in so manys wasn't even paid for years, just in stock papers which they didn't even know if would ever pay anything.

I feel for you about the insinuations about the nickname, Big Book. In my distorted thinking I would wonder if AA was cultish and the BB thing seemed to confirm that when I wanted a reason to think I didn't need to be here. Today I feel that book is chock full of amazing stuff, it's huge! Funny to know that the term comes from a literal
thing, the actual size was Big.

-- Edited by angelov8 on Thursday 9th of December 2010 03:47:37 AM

jelODG · Member

Found another bit of info on the first edition while looking for an original copy online. On eBay a 1st Edition- 1st printing is offered for $6,500 (item # 260699521900) In the description below by the seller it says "The nickname "Big Book" actually comes from the thickness of the paper AND the wide margins. It was Bill W's attempt to give the impression the buyer was "getting their moneys worth" for a book that was expensive for its time. ($3.50 in 1939)

Klaatu · Senior Member

Friend compared his 1st edition 3rd printing to the current 4th edition and simply said "it's pretty much the same size", so no exact measurements, but like horse shoes and hand grenades, it's close enough for me. :P

K.....

jelODG · Member

I'm curious of the printing date on that first edition you say is about the same size. On the first few pages it should say "1st Edition- (with a date) then below it will have what "printing" run it was (with another date). Are you sure it's not a reproduction?

Klaatu · Senior Member

jelODG wrote:

I'm curious of the printing date on that first edition you say is about the same size. On the first few pages it should say "1st Edition- (with a date) then below it will have what "printing" run it was (with another date). Are you sure it's not a reproduction?

As I stated twice before... 1st edition, 3rd printing. 1942.

Does this really matter that much?

K.....

Oh, and btw, I didn't say it was about the same size, the owner of the 1st edition, 3rd printing said it was.

-- Edited by Klaatu on Friday 10th of December 2010 01:52:47 PM

-- Edited by Klaatu on Friday 10th of December 2010 01:54:51 PM

jelODG · Member

No. Doesn't really matter. Just lookin' for a definitve answer. Thanks guys for all your input, comments and answers. Thinkin' about anything having to do with AA helps me stay sober, for today.

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

jelODG wrote:

Found another bit of info on the first edition while looking for an original copy online. On eBay a 1st Edition- 1st printing is offered for $6,500 (item # 260699521900) In the description below by the seller it says "The nickname "Big Book" actually comes from the thickness of the paper AND the wide margins. It was Bill W's attempt to give the impression the buyer was "getting their moneys worth" for a book that was expensive for its time. ($3.50 in 1939)

JelODG, All of that was in Linbaba's post about 5 posts ago. Apparently you aren't reading your own thread. Welcome to the board by the way. smile

bikerbill · MIP Old Timer

Klaatu wrote:

As I stated twice before... 1st edition, 3rd printing. 1942.

Does this really matter that much?

1st edition, 1st printing would be one of the original first 500 copies, so might be different to the 2nd or subsequent printings, i.e. might be on thicker paper with bigger margins and so be bigger.

Still, we all know the story about how the big book got it's name, although I still laugh inwardly as there is a series of books in the UK called the Big Book of....... such as the Big Book of British Birds etc.