Cheney writing memoir on his career

The memoir by Cheney is expected to be published in spring 2011, a few months after George W. Bush’s book comes out. Cheney’s work is currently untitled and will cover his long career in government, from chief of staff under Gerald Ford to vice president under Bush, from Vietnam and Watergate to the first Gulf War and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Cheney, 68, noted that he had never written a book about his years in government, which dates back to the 1960s. “I want my grandkids, 20 or 30 years from now, to be able to read it and understand what I did, and why I did it,’’ he said.

Financial terms were not disclosed. A publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations, but not authorized to publicly discuss them, said the deal was probably worth at least $2 million.

Known for his secrecy while in the Bush administration, Cheney has made it clear since leaving office that he was planning a memoir.

Books by former vice presidents rarely attract a lot of interest unless the author is likely to run for president, or claims an expertise outside of electoral politics (Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,’’ released in 2006, was about global warming).

But Cheney’s influence is like no other vice president’s and his side of the story should at least catch the attention of the general public, including the many who do not like him.