Random House wins bidding war for Blair's memoirs

Random House has won the rights to the memoirs of former British prime minister Tony Blair, the publisher announced Thursday after a four-day bidding war with other international competitors. Random House did not say how much it paid for the rights, but experts say it could be more than 10 million dollars. Former US president Bill Clinton received an advance of 10 million dollars for his autobiography My Life, which was also published by Random House. Blair will recount stories from his 10 years in Downing Street and time as a Labour member of parliament. There is no title yet, and its release is only expected in a few years. dpa csr cc