Cover Stories: White Houes revelations; Berlin Verlag

It is not yet clear whether Sharon Bush, soon-to-be-ex-wife of Dubya's younger brother Neil, will go ahead and spill the family beans in a book. She has been spotted lunching with Kitty Kelley, who's at work on a no-holds-barred account of the Bush dynasty. Neither is there further word of the book on morality in politics for which Georges Senior and Junior signed with St Martin's Press way back before 9/11. Yet, despite her Senate workload, former First Lady Hillary Clinton has finished her $8m memoirs, due to be published in the US and UK (by Headline) late next month. Living History will feature "a very Princess Diana" cover shot. Hubbie Bill's book is, sadly, now a year behind schedule.

It is not yet clear whether Sharon Bush, soon-to-be-ex-wife of Dubya's younger brother Neil, will go ahead and spill the family beans in a book. She has been spotted lunching with Kitty Kelley, who's at work on a no-holds-barred account of the Bush dynasty. Neither is there further word of the book on morality in politics for which Georges Senior and Junior signed with St Martin's Press way back before 9/11. Yet, despite her Senate workload, former First Lady Hillary Clinton has finished her $8m memoirs, due to be published in the US and UK (by Headline) late next month. Living History will feature "a very Princess Diana" cover shot. Hubbie Bill's book is, sadly, now a year behind schedule.

Takeovers among European publishers cause much less excitement than transatlantic deals. But Bloomsbury recently confirmed rumours when it bought Berlin Verlag, which had declared UDI from the Random House. Founded in 1994, Berlin Verlag is roughly half Bloomsbury's age, and as yet has no children's list. The two do share such authors as Nadine Gordimer and Margaret Atwood. Though recession has dented book sales, Germany remains a key market for British fiction, and this is a further plank in Bloomsbury's plans to be a worldwide player. Its latest accounts reveal a cash reserve of more than £18m and profits of £11.2m. And the new Potter arrives on 21 June ...