Former Defense Secretary and Central Intelligence Agency director Leon Panetta scored a book deal to write a personal account of his public and private life, his publisher, Penguin Press, announced on Thursday.
“I have seen Washington at its best and at its worst,” Mr. Panetta said, in a statement reported by the New York Times. “My goal is to give readers the opportunity to go behind the scenes and learn the lessons of how our democracy works, and sometimes how it fails to work.”
His advance was in the range of $3 million, said one publishing executive, unnamed in the Times report. But officially, Penguin Press isn’t saying; Penguin president and editor-in-chief Ann Godoff refused to comment on Mr. Panetta’s advance.
The title and publication date is not yet set, the Times said.
Mr. Panetta’s other career service includes years in the Army as a first lieutenant and in the House of Representatives, for California. He also served as a lead budget adviser to President Bill Clinton.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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