James Clapper, Former Director Of National Intelligence, To Publish Book With Viking
July 20, 2017
Viking is pleased to announce that former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, will publish a book in 2018.
When he stepped down in January 2017 as the fourth United States Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper had been President Obama’s senior intelligence advisor for six and a half years, a period that included such critical events as the take-down of Osama bin Laden, the leaks of Edward Snowden, the Benghazi attack, and Russia’s influence on the 2016 U.S election.
James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, will publish a book with Viking in 2018[/caption]
In this book, Clapper will trace his career through his rise through the ranks of the military, the history of several decades of national intelligence operations, the growing threat of cyberattacks, his relationships with presidents and Congress, and the truth about Russia’s role in the presidential election. He will describe, in the wake of Snowden and WikiLeaks, his efforts to make intelligence more transparent and to counter the narrative about surveillance of American citizens.
Clapper will also consider such difficult questions as: Is intelligence ethical? Is it moral to use human sources to learn secrets, to intercept communications, to take pictures of closed societies from orbit? What are the limits of what we should be allowed to do?
James Clapper says, “At the urging of many friends, and after the momentous events of the last two weeks of my time as DNI, I decided to recount my reflections of a half century in the profession of intelligence and share my experiences—warts and all."
Brian Tart, President and Publisher of Viking, says, “James Clapper has had a remarkable career in the intelligence community. The insights he will share in this book will shed new light on our understanding of this community and its role in our nation's safety and security. We are honored to publish this important book at Viking.”
James Clapper served as the fourth United States Director of National Intelligence—the United States’ top intelligence officer and President Obama’s senior intelligence advisor—from 2010 until 2017. Beginning his career as an enlisted Marine Corps reservist in 1961, Clapper eventually became a three-star Air Force lieutenant general and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, retiring from uniformed service in 1995. In 2007, he was appointed the Pentagon’s top intelligence official, service under both the Bush and Obama administrations.
Viking controls North American Rights, first serial, and audio. Rick Kot, Executive Editor at Viking, will be the editor for the book. Clapper was represented by Gail Ross of the Ross Yoon Agency. Popular Company News
A Newly Discovered and Never-Before-Seen Manuscript by Dr. Seuss To Be Published by Random House Children’s Books
October 28, 2025
An original manuscript and cover sketch by Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was discovered in the archives of UC San Diego’s Geisel Library, and will be…
Our Five Finalists for the 2025 National Book Awards
October 7, 2025
Today, the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization, announced the finalists for the 76th National Book Awards. Established in 1950, the National Book Awards are American literary prizes…
Random House Children’s Books to Acquire Cherry Lake Publishing Group
November 11, 2025
Sleeping Bear Press, Tilbury House, and Other Cherry Lake Imprints to Join Random House Children’s Books, Maintaining Distinct Identities and Leadership. Random House Children’s Books (RHCB),…
Penguin Random House and United for Libraries Announce 2026 Grant Program for Rural and Small Libraries
October 21, 2025
Penguin Random House and United for Libraries have announced a 2026 grant program designed to uplift rural and small libraries across the country. This initiative will…
Dayton Literary Peace Prize 2025: Salman Rushdie Wins Distinguished Achievement Award & MARTYR! Wins Fiction Award
September 30, 2025
The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is the first and only annual U.S. literary award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace. Prize nominations include…
Reading Rainbow Returns After 20 Years With Penguin Random House Author Mychal Threets as Host
October 3, 2025
After a nearly 20-year absence, Reading Rainbow will return with a new series on the YouTube channel KidZuko, hosted by Mychal Threets, Penguin Random House author and Mychal the…
Spotlighting Our Titles on Amazon’s Best Books of 2025
November 14, 2025
Amazon recently released its Best Books of 2025 list, compiled by the Amazon Editors after spending thousands of hours reading and evaluating an impressive range of…
Higher Ground to Launch “IMO: The Look” Podcast Series With Michelle Obama on November 5, Featuring Live Events Alongside Book Release
October 16, 2025
Higher Ground, the media company founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, today announced a special six-part limited companion series to its hit podcast IMO…
David Szalay Wins the 2025 Booker Prize for FLESH
November 12, 2025
We’re thrilled to share that David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize, one of the leading literary awards in the English-speaking world, for his novel…
