Latest news with #TheDayofTheJackal
The Star
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'The Day Of The Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
'The Day of The Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agents Curtis Brown said. Photo: AFP Prolific British thriller writer Frederick Forsyth, who instantly became a global bestselling author when his book The Day Of The Jackal was published in 1971, died on Monday aged 86, his literary agents Curtis Brown said. Forsyth famously penned his most famous work about a fictional assassination attempt on French president Charles de Gaulle by right-wing extremists in just 35 days after falling on hard times. The Jackal went on to be made into a hit film starring Edward Fox as the assassin. A Netflix remake last year with Eddie Redmayne in the lead role was released last year. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," his agent Jonathan Lloyd said. Forsyth died at home surrounded by his family following a brief illness, according to Curtis Brown. The former journalist and pilot wrote over 25 books including The Odessa File (1972) and The Dogs Of War (1974) and sold over 75 million copies worldwide. Many of his novels were also turned into films. "Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life... and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived," said Lloyd. "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 (in Nigeria)," he said. 'Spectacular luck' "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, Th e Day Of The Jackal," he added. A sequel to The Odessa File, entitled Revenge Of Odessa, on which he worked with thriller writer Tony Kent, is due to be published in August, his publisher Bill Scott-Kerr said. "His journalistic background brought a rigour and a metronomic efficiency to his working practice and his nose for and understanding of a great story kept his novels both thrillingly contemporary and fresh," Scott-Kerr added. Forsyth attributed much of his success to "luck", recalling how a bullet narrowly missed him while he was covering the bloody Biafra civil war between 1967 and 1970. "I have had the most spectacular luck all through my life," he told The Times last November in an interview. "Right place, right time, right person, right contact, right promotion – and even just turning my head away when that bullet went past," he said. Asked why he had decided to give up writing – although he later went back to it – he told AFP in 2016 he'd "run out of things to say". "I can't just sit at home and do a nice little romance from within my study, I have to go out and check out places like Modagishu, Guinea Bissau, both hellholes in different ways," he said. Forsyth had two sons by his first wife. His second wife, Sandy, died last year. Conservative MP David Davis paid tribute to his friend as a "fabulous wordsmith". He told Sky News that Forsyth "was a great believer in the old values – he believed in honour and patriotism and courage and directness and straightforwardness, and a big defender of our armed forces". - AFP
The Journal
09-06-2025
- 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
LeMonde
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
'The Day of The Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
British thriller writer Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86, his literary agents Curtis Brown said on Monday, June 9. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," his agent Jonathan Lloyd said. Forsyth died at home on Monday morning surrounded by his family following a brief illness, according to Curtis Brown. "Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life ... and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived," said Lloyd. "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 (in Nigeria)," Lloyd said. "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," he added. A pilot who turned to writing to clear his debts, Forsyth penned more than 25 novels, including 20 spy novels, often drawing on real-life experiences and selling 70 million copies worldwide. Forsyth honed a distinctive style of deeply researched and precise espionage thrillers involving power games between mercenaries, spies and scoundrels. For inspiration, he drew on his own globe-trotting life, including an early stint as a foreign correspondent and assisting Britain's spy service on missions in Nigeria, South Africa, and the former East Germany and Rhodesia. "The research was the big parallel: as a foreign correspondent you are probing, asking questions, trying to find out what's going on, and probably being lied to," he told The Bookseller magazine in 2015. "Working on a novel is much the same... essentially it's a very extended report about something that never happened – but might have." 'Stony broke as usual' He wrote his first novel when he was 31, on a break from reporting and in dire need of money to fund his wanderlust. Having returned "from an African war, and stony broke as usual, with no job and no chance of one, I hit on the idea of writing a novel to clear my debts," he said in his autobiography The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue published in 2015. "There are several ways of making quick money, but in the general list, writing a novel rates well below robbing a bank." But Forsyth's foray came good. Taking just 35 days to pen The Day of the Jackal, his story of a fictional assassination attempt on French president Charles de Gaulle by right-wing extremists, met immediate success when it appeared in 1971. The novel was later turned into a film and provided self-styled revolutionary Carlos the Jackal with his nickname. Forsyth went on to write a string of bestsellers including The Odessa File (1972) and The Dogs of War (1974).
RTÉ News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
British author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agents Curtis Brown said. The best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home this morning, Curtis Brown added. The British novelist is best known for writing thrillers like The Dogs of War, The Fox, The Kill List and The Afghan among others. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, Mr 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 depicted in the 1971 novel The Day of The Jackal. 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 BBC One - and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived." Mr Lloyd said Mr Forsyth has served as "one of the youngest ever RAF pilots", adding that he then turned to journalism where he used "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 (1972), and instantly became a global bestselling author," he said. Mr Lloyd said the late author wrote "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," he added.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Frederick Forsyth dead at 86: Day of the Jackal author and former MI6 agent dies after brief illness
He wrote more than 25 books that have sold over 75 million copies TRAGIC LOSS Frederick Forsyth dead at 86: Day of the Jackal author and former MI6 agent dies after brief illness FREDERICK Forsyth, the author of The Day of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agents Curtis Brown said. The best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home on Monday morning, Curtis Brown added. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Frederick Forsyth died at home after a brief illness Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 3 Forsyth made his name with thrillers such as The Odessa File Credit: Getty 3 The author wrote over 25 books Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, 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. "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 (1972), and instantly became a global bestselling author. "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."
