The Envoy: Mastering the Art of Diplomacy with Trump and the World

by Gordon Sondland

Overview

This is a behind-the-scenes look at Trump, his cabinet, and an international diplomacy you’ve never seen before—written by someone with no scores to settle, no hidden agenda, no check to cash, and no fucks to give.

If you’ve heard of Gordon Sondland, it’s likely for one of the following two reasons: one, that he served as the US ambassador to the European Union as a political appointee of President Trump; or two, that he appeared as a pivotal witness in Trump’s impeachment trial. Yes, Sondland is the “quid pro quo” guy. But as it turns out, he has plenty to say that’s far more memorable.

People still stop Sondland at the grocery store or in the airport—Republicans and Democrats alike—and offer him high-fives. Business associates, strangers, and even close friends still ask him: “How did you do that?” What they’re really asking is: How did he survive Trump? How did he handle being grilled by the Senate intelligence committee? How did he come out of the situation intact, able to move on?

These are just a few of the questions Sondland wants to answer in The Envoy—a surprising and endlessly amusing account of inflated egos, botched phone calls, bad behavior, and international jujitsu.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637585283
Publisher:	Bombardier Books
Publication date:	10/25/2022
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Gordon Sondland is the founder and CEO of Provenance Hotels, which currently owns or operates nineteen full-service boutique “lifestyle” hotels that have received industry awards and critical acclaim from national and international publications.

In 2018, President Trump asked Sondland to serve as the 20th United States Ambassador to the European Union. As one of the highest-ranking US officials in Europe, Sondland’s portfolio included trade, energy, national security, defense agriculture, and several other files.

Gordon Sondland’s community service includes an appointment by President George W. Bush to the Commission for White House Fellowships and by Oregon Governor Kulongoski to serve as a principal Republican liaison between Oregon and the White House, a position Sondland held for seven years.

Over the last thirty years, the Gordon D. Sondland and Katherine J. Durant Foundation has given millions of dollars to causes including childhood education, hunger programs, the arts, and medical research. The Foundation recently created the Sondland and Durant Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Duke University.

Table of Contents

Prologue 9

Introduction: Greetings From Brussels 16

Chapter 1 Fateful Mistakes 25

Chapter 2 So You Wanna Be an Ambassador 38

Chapter 3 Write a Big Check; Be a Pain in the Ass 69

Chapter 4 How to Make Friends and Piss off Staffers 94

Chapter 5 "Diplomacy is the Art of Saying 'Nice doggie' until You Can Find a Rock." 115

Chapter 6 Dinner Parties and Destroyers 139

Chapter 7 What's the Matter with Ukraine? 163

Chapter 8 Front Row at the Trump Impeachment Show 192

Chapter 9 You're Fired! 213

Chapter 10 The Next Act 225

Final Thoughts 244

Acknowledgments 253

Editorial Reviews

Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s book about a businessman in the United States Foreign Service is a must-read for anyone wanting an outsider’s look into the Trump Administration and the State Department. It’s not always a pretty sight, but it’s one helluva great and revealing story.

David Hume Kennerly

Hey! How did I wind up in this book? I plan to read it and find out!

Jay Leno

...a surprising and endlessly amusing account of inflated egos, botched phone calls, bad behavior, and internal jujitsu.

Midwest Book Review

One of the most intriguing memoirs of the Trump era, a book that is at times self-abasing and at others self-aggrandizing, and that serves as a how-to manual for upwardly managing the most unruly of employers.

New York Times

Gordon Sondland and his family have been my friends for nearly three decades. His personal story and journey are compelling.

Goli Ameri

Ambassador Sondland worked tirelessly to bring the United States and the Republic of Georgia closer together. As Prime Minister I very much enjoyed working with him. His book, The Envoy is a great read!

Mamuka Bakhtadze