Darroch became envoy to Washington in 2016 and had a ringside seat for the first chaotic years of the Trump administration. He describes it in “Collateral Damage,” an entertaining account of his tenure in Washington and its dramatic end. The book is scheduled to be published Oct. 13 in the U.S. by PublicAffairs.

Darroch’s illustrious diplomatic career imploded in July 2019 when the Mail on Sunday newspaper published leaked confidential memos in which the ambassador described Trump’s White House as dysfunctional, incompetent, clumsy and inept.

Such frankness is expected by governments of their ambassadors. But an enraged Trump branded Darroch “a very stupid guy” and said the U.S. administration would no longer deal with him. Darroch was on a flight back to London within days.

The book vividly conveys the vertiginous feeling of being at the center of a political and media storm. But Darroch is remarkably philosophical about the sudden end to his diplomatic career.

“I don’t really do bitterness,” Darroch, who now holds the title Lord Darroch of Kew as a member of Britain’s House of Lords, said. “It’s a deliberate choice.”

“Collateral Damage,” is just as interested in exploring how Trump’s insurgent, often dysfunctional administration operated as in analyzing the secrets of the president’s appeal. In the book, Darroch calls it an “intoxicating mix” of star quality, media savvy and an ability to tap into popular resentments.

Boris Johnson helped end Darroch’s career when, after the leak, he publicly declined to say that the ambassador should keep his job. But — ever the diplomat —Darroch is even-handed about the British leader. He thinks parallels between Johnson and Trump have often been overstated.