General Musharraf Longs For the Bestseller Lists

Posted on February 13, 2005

Yes, you heard correctly. Publishers Weekly reports that Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf has signed with Free Press' senior editor Bruce Nichols to write a political memoir (is there any other kind these days?). The exact amount of the advance was not released, but rumor says that deal is in the high six figures. The tome will arrive in fall of next year. It's certainly commonplace for American political leaders to dish the dirt after they leave office (and sometimes before), but we have to wonder how candid General Musharraf can possibly be. Osama bin Laden is still hiding in a part of his country where we can't get to and he has to tread lightly so as to not infuriate Pakistanis, who are less than supportive of his ties to the United States. Before 9/11, no major Western power would even take Musharraf's phone calls; now, he's inking book deals with a major New York publisher. Perhaps a reality show is in his future?