Sacked FBI director James Comey’s memoir that details his private meetings with US President Donald Trump sold more than 600,000 copies in all formats in its first week, its publisher said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of best-selling political books.
Mr Comey's A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership has so far outpaced Hillary Clinton's campaign memoir What Happened and journalist Michael Wolff's behind-the-scenes White House expose Fire and Fury in opening week sales, according to industry figures.
Publisher Flatiron Books, a division of privately-owned Macmillan, said it has printed more than a million copies of the book, which has made national headlines.
Flatiron did not say whether the first week sales were global or limited to the United States.
The author has been on a media blitz, giving numerous television and radio interviews, while also on a book tour in which he regularly appears before sold-out audiences of more than a thousand.
The book has drawn the president’s anger as Mr Comey compared Mr Trump to a mob boss who stresses personal loyalty over the law and has little regard for morality or truth.
Mr Trump sacked the FBI director in May last year while the organisation was investigating allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Russians and the Trump campaign.
The book, which is billed as Mr Comey’s thoughts on leadership, was at the top of Amazon.com’s bestseller list for several weeks before its release.
Mrs Clinton's What Happened sold more than 300,000 copies, including hardcover, e-book, CD and digital audio, in its first week after publication in September last year, according to CBS-owned publisher Simon & Schuster.
Mr Wolff’s portrayal of a disorganised West Wing filled with strife and aides questioning the president’s fitness to lead debuted in January with about 28,000 in sales. Higher than expected demand led Macmillan imprint Henry Holt & Co to order 2.1 million copies in its first week.
