Seems that former spymaster George Tenet won't be rushing his story of running the CIA under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to print. Insiders say he's decided to defer the deal with Crown Books, worth nearly $5 million, until after he has more time to pull his thoughts together. Publishers engaged in a wild bidding war to get his story of the CIA before and after 9/11, with Crown eventually winning and asking that the book be ready for the presses later this year. But we learn that Tenet didn't want to be tied to a firm deadline. What's more, he's been extremely busy traveling around the country giving speeches, preparing for his first teaching gig at Georgetown University and mulling the creation of his own worldwide consulting firm.
Crown probably knew something was up: Tenet never signed the advance contract. "He's just not ready to write it yet," said our source, "and he needs time to think about it." In the meantime, Crown keeps the money. But not forever. Tenet still plans to complete the project. |