Best-selling British author Frederick Forsyth, famed for his iconic thriller The Day of the Jackal, has died at the age of 86.
With a literary career spanning over five decades, Forsyth wrote more than 25 books, including The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, and The Fourth Protocol. His books have sold more than 75 million copies globally and have become landmarks in the thriller genre.
His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, praised Forsyth’s influence, saying, “Still read by millions, Freddie’s thrillers define the genre and are the benchmark contemporary writers aspire to. He leaves behind a peerless legacy.”
Born in Kent in 1938, Forsyth’s career began in the skies—he joined the Royal Air Force at just 18. He later became a foreign correspondent for Reuters and the BBC. In a 2015 revelation, he confirmed that he also served as a covert operative for British intelligence agency MI6 for over two decades.
His first novel, The Day of the Jackal, was written during a period of financial struggle. “I was skint, in debt, no flat, no car, no nothing,” Forsyth once recalled. “And I just thought, ‘How do I get myself out of this hole?’ So I wrote a novel.”
Published in 1971, the novel tells the story of a professional assassin hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. The book became a global sensation and was adapted into a successful 1973 film starring Edward Fox, and later a TV series featuring Eddie Redmayne.
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Other works followed in quick succession, including The Odessa File in 1972 and The Fourth Protocol in 1984, the latter becoming a film starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan. A sequel to The Odessa File, titled Revenge of Odessa, co-written with thriller author Tony Kent, is set to be published in August.
Forsyth was also honoured with a CBE in 1997 for his services to literature.
His personal life included two sons from his first marriage to Carole Cunningham. His second wife, Sandy Molloy, passed away in October 2024.
Just weeks before his death, Forsyth viewed a forthcoming BBC One documentary on his life titled In My Own Words, which highlights his multifaceted journey from fighter pilot and journalist to author and intelligence operative.
His editor, Bill Scott-Kerr, remembered him as “the most professional writer an editor could hope for,” adding that his journalistic discipline and sense of story structure made his work both rigorous and compelling.
Frederick Forsyth’s unique blend of real-world experience and narrative craft leaves a legacy that will inspire and entertain readers for generations to come.
BBC
