Frederick Forsyth author of The Day of the Jackal has died at the age of 86 (Belfast Telegraph)
Author of the award-winning novel and film “The Day Of The Jackal” Frederick Forsyth, has died at the age of 86.
His agent reported that he had passed away at his home early on Monday 9 June, following a brief illness, surrounded by his family.
Forsyth published more than 25 books, including “The Odessa File”, “The Dogs of War”, “The Afghan”, “The Kill List” and “The Fist of God”.
Many of his fictional plots drew on his real-life experiences and the books sold over 75 million copies around the world.
He was made a CBE for services to literature in 1997.
Ideal fit
He was born in Ashford, Kent in 1938 and joined the RAF at the age of 18, before becoming a war correspondent for the BBC and Reuters.
The author was fluent in French, German, Spanish, and Russian, which possibly explained how he was a perfect fit for an additional role working for British intelligence agency MI6, who he was employed by for more than 20 years.
Calling on personal experiences
He made his name with the very first novel he wrote in 1971, basing “The Day Of The Jackal” on his own experiences covering the attempted assassination of Charles de Gaulle in 1962.
Forsyth revealed later that at the time he was out of work and in debt, so just thought to himself: “How do I get myself out of this hole? And I came up with probably the zaniest solution – write a novel.”
Source of embarrassment for authorities
The gripping political thriller set in 1963, is about a professional assassin hired to kill the French President who at the time was Charles de Gaulle. His experiences in the secret service came in handy allowing him to weave intricate technical details into not only that story, but many of his subsequent books.
His research often embarrassed the authorities, who were forced to admit that some of the shady tactics he revealed were used in real-life espionage.
Award winner
Having sold the film rights for £20,000 in the 1970s, Forsyth received no payment for Eddie Redmayne’s version of The Day of the Jackal, when it was re-imagined for television last year on Sky.
“The Day of the Jackal” won a BAFTA for Best Editing for Ralph Kemplen and it also received five other BAFTA nominations, together with nominations for two Golden Globes and one Academy Award.
Benchmark for contemporaries
“The Odessa File” which was adapted for the big screen in a film starring Jon Voight was another huge hit, as was “The Fourth Protocol”, which became a massive movie starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan.
His publisher Bill Scott-Kerr said: “Freddie’s thrillers are still read by millions across the world and define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire. He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.”
He added that the author had written a follow-up, “Revenge of Odessa”, with fellow thriller writer Tony Kent, which will be published in August.
Instinct never dies
Forsyth wrote all his books on a typewriter and refused to use the internet for his research, yet ironically, his 18th novel “The Fox” was a spy thriller about a gifted computer hacker.
The author had announced it was to be his final book, but he later came out of self-imposed retirement after the death of his second wife, Sandy, in 2024.
He once remarked: “It is a bit drug-like, journalism, I don’t think that instinct ever dies.” It was certainly an instinct which allowed him to bring a life full of adventure into exciting and thrilling print.
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