The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

It was later made into a film of the same name. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.įorsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism.

He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, and recently The Cobra and The Kill List.

Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator.

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth