The Fox News analyst who caused a national debate over freedom of speech issues in November when he was fired from NPR for comments he made on-air about Muslims, Juan Williams, has signed a two-book deal with Random House's Crown Publishers division. Williams' first book, which is currently untitled, will be about freedom of speech and, per the publisher, "the growing difficulty in America of speaking out on sensitive topics." Williams was a longtime NPR commentator who was let go after making his comments on Fox.
Crown executive editor Roger Scholl acquired North American rights to the books in a deal coordinated by Suzanne Gluck and Eric Lupfer at William Morris Endeavor. The first title is scheduled for summer 2011. The second book, which is also untitled (and not yet scheduled), will offer a look at American history through the prism of notable figures. According to Crown, the work will "examine the changing face of America since the time of the Founding Fathers, as seen through the eyes of some of the noteworthy individuals who have helped to expand on and transform our ideas of what it means to be an American."
