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USA Today
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Frederick Forsyth, award-winning 'Day of the Jackal' thriller novelist, dies at 86
Frederick Forsyth, award-winning 'Day of the Jackal' thriller novelist, dies at 86 British author and journalist Frederick Forsyth, best known for thriller novels such as "The Day of the Jackal," "The Odessa File," "The Fourth Protocol" and "The Dogs of War," has died. He was 86. Forsyth, who reportedly sold more than 70 million copies of his books, died on Monday, June 9, at his home in Jordans, England, Penguin Random House representative Alexis Welby confirmed to USA TODAY. Forsyth's literary agent, Jonathan Lloyd, did not specify the writer's cause of death but told The New York Times that he died following a "short illness." Forsyth's signature style, which consisted of exhilarating portraits of international political affairs, was inspired by the author's real-life journalism career. Following a stint in the Royal Air Force, Forsyth worked as a reporter for publications such as the Eastern Daily Press, Reuters and the BBC. Forsyth worked as a correspondent at the BBC until 1968. He was reassigned from his role after criticizing British aid to Nigeria during the Biafran War. His debut novel, 1969's "The Biafran Story," was a nonfiction account of the Nigerian civil conflict. Forsyth also made an impact on the silver screen. Several of his novels — 1971's "The Day of the Jackal," 1972's "The Odessa File," 1974's "The Dogs of War" and 1984's "The Fourth Protocol" — were adapted into hit films. Sly Stone dies: Funk pioneer, leader of Sly and the Family Stone was 82 The 1973 film adaptation of "The Day of the Jackal," which starred Edward Fox, grossed over $16 million at the box office and received an Academy Award nomination for best film editing. The Golden Globe-nominated TV series of the same name in 2024, starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, was also based on Forsyth's novel. In 2012, Forsyth received the Diamond Dagger award from the Crime Writers' Association, in recognition of his influence on the crime thriller genre. Previously, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in his native U.K. Loretta Swit dies: 'M*A*S*H' star was 87 Forsyth's latest novel "Revenge of Odessa," a sequel to "The Odessa File" co-authored with Tony Kent, is set to be released on Nov. 18.
India Today
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Frederick Forsyth, author of ‘The Day of the Jackal, dies at 86
Frederick Forsyth, the renowned British novelist best known for his international bestseller The Day of the Jackal, died on Monday at the age of 86. His agent, Jonathan Lloyd, confirmed that Forsyth passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, following a brief illness.'We are sad to have lost one of the world's finest thriller writers,' Lloyd said in a in Kent, England, in 1938, Forsyth began his career as a pilot for the Royal Air Force before transitioning to journalism. As a foreign correspondent, he covered major global events, including the 1962 attempt on the life of French President Charles de Gaulle — an incident that would later inspire his breakout novel. Forsyth achieved instant fame with the release of The Day of the Jackal in 1971, a gripping political thriller about a professional assassin hired to kill de Gaulle. The novel became a global phenomenon and was adapted into a 1973 film starring Edward Fox. A recent television adaptation features Eddie Redmayne and Lashana his prolific career, Forsyth authored more than 25 novels, including The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Fist of God, The Kill List, and The Afghan. His books have sold over 75 million copies Role in British IntelligenceIn a 2015 BBC interview, Forsyth indicated he had been cooperating with British intelligence service MI6 during his years as a journalist. He stated that he was never remunerated for his assistance but was frequently asked to deliver information, especially during the Cold Bill Scott-Kerr said Forsyth's last book, Revenge of Odessa, a sequel to The Odessa File written with author Tony Kent will be published in August.'Freddie's thrillers are iconic,' Scott-Kerr said. 'They set the genre and inspire new generations of writers.'(With inputs from Associated Press)
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Day of the Jackal author Forsyth dies at age 86
Novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal and The Dogs of War, has died aged 86, his publisher says. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for the United Kingdom's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. The Day of the Jackal, in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue. "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed "Carlos the Jackal". Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War II. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. After finally finding a publisher for The Day of the Jackal, he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came The Odessa File in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or "The Butcher of Riga". After that, The Dogs of War in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife. Novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal and The Dogs of War, has died aged 86, his publisher says. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for the United Kingdom's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. The Day of the Jackal, in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue. "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed "Carlos the Jackal". Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War II. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. After finally finding a publisher for The Day of the Jackal, he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came The Odessa File in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or "The Butcher of Riga". After that, The Dogs of War in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife. Novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal and The Dogs of War, has died aged 86, his publisher says. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for the United Kingdom's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. The Day of the Jackal, in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue. "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed "Carlos the Jackal". Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War II. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. After finally finding a publisher for The Day of the Jackal, he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came The Odessa File in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or "The Butcher of Riga". After that, The Dogs of War in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife. Novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal and The Dogs of War, has died aged 86, his publisher says. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for the United Kingdom's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. The Day of the Jackal, in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue. "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed "Carlos the Jackal". Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War II. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. After finally finding a publisher for The Day of the Jackal, he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came The Odessa File in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or "The Butcher of Riga". After that, The Dogs of War in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife.
Japan Today
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Frederick Forsyth, 'Day of the Jackal' author, dies at 86
FILE PHOTO: British novelist Frederick Forsyth smiles during an interview with Reuters at his home near Hertford, England, July 26, 2006. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty (BRITAIN)/File Photo By Guy Faulconbridge British novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as "The Day of the Jackal" and "The Dogs of War," has died aged 86, his publisher said. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. "The Day of the Jackal", in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, "The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue". "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed "Carlos the Jackal". Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War Two. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. Impressing Reuters' editors with his languages and knowledge that Bujumbura was a city in Burundi, he was offered a job at the news agency in 1961 and sent to Paris and then East Berlin where the Stasi secret police kept close tabs on him. He left Reuters for the BBC but soon became disillusioned by its bureaucracy and what he saw as the corporation's failure to cover Nigeria properly due to the government's incompetent post-colonial views on Africa. It was in 1968 that Forsyth was approached by the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, and asked by an officer named "Ronnie" to inform on what was really going on in Biafra. By his own account, he would keep contacts with the MI6, which he called "the Firm", for many years. His novels showed extensive knowledge of the world of spies and he even edited out bits of The Fourth Protocol (1984), he said, so that militants would not know how to detonate an atomic bomb. His writing was sometimes cruel, such as when the Jackal kills his lover after she discovers he is an assassin. "He looked down at her, and for the first time she noticed that the grey flecks in his eyes had spread and clouded over the whole expression, which had become dead and lifeless like a machine staring down at her." After finally finding a publisher for "The Day of the Jackal," he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came "The Odessa File" in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or "The Butcher of Riga". After that, "The Dogs of War" in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife. His later novels variously cast hackers, Russians, al Qaeda militants and cocaine smugglers against the forces of good - broadly Britain and the West. But the novels never quite reached the level of the Jackal. A supporter of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, Forsyth scolded Britain's elites for what he cast as their treachery and naivety. In columns for The Daily Express, he gave a host of withering assessments of the modern world from an intellectual right-wing perspective. The world, he said, worried too much about "the oriental pandemic" (known to most as COVID-19), Donald Trump was "deranged", Vladimir Putin "a tyrant" and "liberal luvvies of the West" were wrong on most things. He was, to the end, a reporter who wrote novels. "In a world that increasingly obsesses over the gods of power, money and fame, a journalist and a writer must remain detached," he wrote. "It is our job to hold power to account." © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who was Frederick Forsyth? Celebrated author of 'The Day of the Jackal', former MI6 agent dies aged 86
Frederick Forsyth, the master of the political thriller and author of The Day of the Jackal, has died at the age of 86 following a brief illness, his literary agent confirmed on Monday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He passed away at home, surrounded by his family. Best known for his gripping and meticulously researched espionage novels, Forsyth was regarded as one of the most influential thriller writers of the 20th century. His breakthrough debut, The Day of the Jackal, published in 1971, became an international sensation and was swiftly adapted into a film. It remains a landmark in the genre, praised for its realism and pace. 'He was one of the world's greatest thriller writers,' said Jonathan Lloyd, Forsyth's agent. His publisher Bill Scott-Kerr echoed the sentiment, calling Forsyth's thrillers 'the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire'. Forsyth's own life often seemed as dramatic as the stories he wrote. A former RAF pilot, war correspondent, and secret MI6 operative, he drew from real-world intrigue to build plots that blurred the line between fiction and history. Who was Frederick Forsyth? Born: 25 August 1938 in Ashford, Kent, southern England. 25 August 1938 in Ashford, Kent, southern England. Early Career: Trained as a pilot with the RAF; later joined Reuters in 1961 and then BBC as a foreign correspondent. Trained as a pilot with the RAF; later joined Reuters in 1961 and then BBC as a foreign correspondent. Famous Work: The Day of the Jackal (1971), inspired by the real-life 1962 assassination attempt on Charles de Gaulle. The Day of the Jackal (1971), inspired by the real-life 1962 assassination attempt on Charles de Gaulle. Spy Ties: Secretly worked for British intelligence (MI6) during the Nigerian civil war and later missions in East Germany. Secretly worked for British intelligence (MI6) during the Nigerian civil war and later missions in East Germany. Research Style: Known for dangerous, first-hand research, including travel to Somalia and other conflict zones. Known for dangerous, first-hand research, including travel to Somalia and other conflict zones. Bestsellers : Authored over 25 books including The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Afghan, and The Fist of God. : Authored over 25 books including The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Afghan, and The Fist of God. Sales: Over 75 million books sold worldwide. Over 75 million books sold worldwide. Autobiography: The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue (2015) detailed his double life and real espionage missions. The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue (2015) detailed his double life and real espionage missions. Final Work: Revenge of Odessa, a sequel co-written with Tony Kent, will be released in August 2025. Revenge of Odessa, a sequel co-written with Tony Kent, will be released in August 2025. Political Views: Wrote a regular column for the anti-EU Daily Express, often focusing on military and foreign affairs. Wrote a regular column for the anti-EU Daily Express, often focusing on military and foreign affairs. Personal Life: Known affectionately as 'Freddie', he remained passionate about flying and once described writing as a backup plan to his childhood dream of being a pilot.
