Guide Note

Former covert CIA agent Valerie Plame published her memoir, Fair Game, in October of 2007. Plame's cover was blown after United States government officials leaked her identity to journalists as an alleged act of retribution against Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson.

Fast Facts

1. Full Title: Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House
2. Genre: Non-Fiction
3. Publication Date: October 22, 2007
4. Publisher: Simon & Schuster
5. Pages: 320
6. ISBN 1-416-53761-9

After writing the book, Plame sent a copy to the CIA's Publications Review Board in accordance with contractual obligations. The manuscript was sent back heavily censored, but rather than rewriting it, Plame and her publisher opted to publish the book as it was, including pages of blacked out text. Reporter Laura Rozen used public records to fill in some of the story's missing pieces in an 80-page afterword.

"What was shocking to me was the extent and the recklessness with which these senior administration officials tossed around my name. They understood what was at stake. They all signed secrecy agreements, as well, to protect the Constitution and national security when they came on board...They should have known better." ¹