Some dust jackets of On War printed during World War II can display confusing dating characteristics.

While the proper First Edition dust jacket refers to 292 titles at the top of the inverse of the jacket (Fall, 1943), some copies printed later list 284 titles with G60 the highest giant. That would date the jacket to the Fall of 1942, a full year earlier than the first. In addition, the backs of these dust jackets mention 299 titles, which would date to spring 1944.

What likely happened was that the inverse of the jackets were made in bulk and then allocated to different titles to have the front of the jacket printed.  Publishers were using every scrap of paper they could put their hands on because of war-time paper shortages.  While before the war jackets printed on one side with out-of-date lists were probably tossed out, during wartime they would have been used:  The paper of leftover jackets was too precious to waste and seems to have been recycled whenever possible.

First binding style:     G4

First inverse DJ number:      292  [NOT 284]