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- 9 News
Day of the Jackal author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Frederick Forsyth, the British author of The Day of the Jackal and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said. He was 86. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early on Monday surrounded by his family. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. Famous thriller writer Frederick Forsyth has died aged 86. (Mario Borg/AP) Born in Kent, in southern England, in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for The Day of the Jackal , his bestselling political thriller about a professional assassin. Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. In 2015, Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. Edward Fox starred in the 1973 film version of The Day of the Jackal. (Supplied) Although Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and "it was hard to say no" to officials seeking information. "The zeitgeist was different," he told the BBC. "The Cold War was very much on." He wrote more than 25 books including The Afghan , The Kill List , The Dogs of War and The Fist of God that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that Revenge of Odessa , a sequel to the 1974 book The Odessa File that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. "Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire," Scott-Kerr said. CONTACT US
Boston Globe
6 hours ago
- Boston Globe
‘Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
For a half-century, Mr. Forsyth was one of the most successful authors of the cloak-and-dagger circuit. He wrote more than 20 novels, short stories and other works, reportedly selling more than 75 million copies in more than a dozen languages. Many of his books, featuring high-stakes action and protagonists pitted against seemingly impossible odds, were made into movies or TV dramas. Unlike John le Carré, a contemporary who delved into the moral ambiguities of Cold War espionage, Mr. Forsyth never pretended to be anything other than, by his own description, 'just a storyteller.' Book critics were generally kind, often praising his blistering plot pace and meticulous attention to detail. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Born in Kent, in southern England, in 1938, Mr. Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for 'The Day of the Jackal,' his political thriller about a professional assassin. Advertisement Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring In 2015, Mr. Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the Advertisement Although Mr. Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and 'it was hard to say no' to officials seeking information. 'The zeitgeist was different,' he told the BBC. 'The Cold War was very much on.' He wrote more than 25 books including 'The Afghan,' 'The Kill List,' 'The Dogs of War,' and 'The Fist of God' that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that 'Revenge of Odessa,' a sequel to the 1974 book 'The Odessa File' that Mr. Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. 'Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire,' Scott-Kerr said. Material from The Washington Post was used in this obituary.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
Frederick Forsyth , the British author of "The Day of the Jackal " and other bestselling thrillers , has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said Monday. He was 86. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Retirement Village Coming To Minneapolis - Take A Look At The Prices New York Retirement Village Click Here Undo Born in Kent, in southern England, in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for "The Day of the Jackal," his bestselling political thriller about a professional assassin. Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. Live Events In 2015, Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. Although Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and "it was hard to say no" to officials seeking information. "The zeitgeist was different," he told the BBC. "The Cold War was very much on." He wrote more than 25 books including "The Afghan," "The Kill List," "The Dogs of War" and "The Fist of God" that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that "Revenge of Odessa," a sequel to the 1974 book "The Odessa File" that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. "Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire," Scott-Kerr said.
The Journal
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Frederick Forsyth, best-selling author of The Day of the Jackal, dies aged 86
FREDERICK FORSYTH, THE author of The Day of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86. His death came after a brief illness, his literary agents Curtis Brown said. The former RAF pilot and investigative journalist-turned-novelist was known for writing thrilling crime books including The Fox, The Kill List, and The Afghan. Many of his fictional plots drew on his real-life experiences around the world. He has sold millions of copies of his books and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1997 New Year Honours list for services to literature. Paying tribute in a statement online, his agent Jonathan Lloyd said: 'We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers. 'Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life – In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC1 – and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived,' Lloyd said. Advertisement 'After serving as one of the youngest ever RAF pilots, he turned to journalism, using his gift for languages in German, French and Russian to become a foreign correspondent in Biafra. 'Appalled at what he saw and using his experience during a stint as a secret service agent, he wrote his first and perhaps most famous novel, The Day Of The Jackal, and instantly became a global best-selling author. His debut novel insired a film rendition in 1973 (pictured), as well as a TV show which aired last year. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'He went on to write more than 25 books (many of which were made into films) that have sold over 75 million copies. 'He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, all of us at Curtis Brown and of course his millions of fans around the world – though his books will of course live on forever.' Born in Kent in 1938, Forsyth served as an RAF pilot before working as a war correspondent for the BBC and Reuters, and in 2015 disclosed that he had also spent over 20 years working for the British intelligence agency MI6. Forsyth was married twice, and is survived by two sons Stuart and Shane. Additional reporting by PA Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
LONDON -- Frederick Forsyth, the British author of 'The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said Monday. He was 86. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family. 'We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent and a novelist. In 2015, he told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. 'The Day of the Jackal,' published in 1971, propelled him into global fame. The political thriller about a professional assassin was made into a film in 1973 and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. He wrote more than 25 books including 'The Afghan,' 'The Kill List,' 'The Dogs of War" and 'The Fist of God" that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that 'Revenge of Odessa,' a sequel to the 1974 book 'The Odessa File" that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August.
