Share this @internewscast.com

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, the firm added.

Frederick Forsyth died at home after a brief illnessCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
Frederick Forsyth at his typewriter.
Forsyth made his name with thrillers such as The Odessa FileCredit: Getty
The author wrote over 25 booksCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun

His novel The Day of the Jackal was so popular it sparked a Bafta-winning film and a series featuring Eddie Redmayne.

Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said: “We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers.

“Just a few weeks back, I had the chance to sit with him as we watched a touching new documentary about his life—In My Own Words—which is set to air on BBC1 later this year. It was a powerful reminder of an extraordinary life that was well lived.

“Starting as one of the youngest pilots in the RAF, he later ventured into journalism, leveraging his linguistic abilities in German, French, and Russian to work as a foreign correspondent in Biafra.

“Horrified by the scenes he encountered, and drawing from his time as a secret service agent, he penned his debut and perhaps most renowned novel, The Day of the Jackal (1972), which skyrocketed him to global bestseller status.

He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.

Bill Scott-Kerr, Freddie’s publisher

“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.”

Tributes for the much-loved author have begun pouring in with his publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr calling his time spent with Frederick – affectionately known as Freddie – “one of the great pleasures of my professional life”.

He said: “Having long held The Day of the Jackal as the blueprint of the modern thriller, I was honoured to become his editor for Avenger in 2002 and have remained so ever since.

“Working with Freddie has been one of the great pleasures of my professional life.

“He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.”

Born in Ashford, Kent in 1938, Frederick flew fighter jets during his national service before turning to a career in journalism.

Working with Freddie has been one of the great pleasures of my professional life.

Bill Scott-Kerr

After just a short period working at the news agency Reuters, he got his lucky break and was sent to Paris.

It was during this time that he made a name for himself- getting the inside scoop after then-President Charles de Gaulle’s assassination.

Following a brief sting in Germany he moved to the BBC in 1967 where he was sent to Nigeria to cover the Biafran war.

His adventures as a journalist soon became the inspiration behind his thriller novels, such as The Odessa File which tells the story of a young German reporter on the hunt for a Nazi war criminal.

Here began a sprawling career in fiction writing, seeing Frederick amass numerous accolades and praise for his work along the way.

Over the course of his life, he wrote more than 25 books that have sold a staggering 75 million copies and have won him honours, including a CBE in 1997.

But despite his rolling literary success, the author admitted on several occasions he had lost interest in the work.

In 2018, following the launch of the novel The Fox, he told The Times: “The interest has gone”.

He added: “I’ve got three unused typewriters in a cupboard at home.”

Life of adventures

Last year, The Sun spoke to the best-selling author whose debut thriller The Day of The Jackal sparked a Bafta-winning film.

The story follows the professional killer, who works for Organisation Armée Secrète (Secret Army Organisation), a dissident political group.

Freddie said: “There definitely was an OAS trying to assassinate President de Gaulle. I was there covering it as a Reuters reporter in 1962 to ’63.

“I thought to myself that they probably would fail because they were so penetrated by French counter-intelligence.

“But I thought if they were ever to call in an outsider who’s not on the radar at all, he might get away with it.”

During his year in Soviet East Germany, as the official correspondent for Reuters and he revealed he worked as a “bag carrier” for Britain’s MI6.

He said: “I call it running errands. You pop over to someone’s house and pick up something and bring it back.

“I got a lot of attention from the secret police, the Stasi. I was followed all over the place.

“I thought the only way to survive is to take the mickey. They had no sense of humour, so I would do stupid things.

I knew my apartment was bugged, so I would go into the bedroom and have a passionate orgy with a non-existent female.

Frederick Forsyth

“I knew my apartment was bugged, so I would go into the bedroom and have a passionate orgy with a non-existent female.

“Knowing every word was being recorded I used two or three voices and then there would be a knock on the door. ‘Mein Herr, your gas is leaking’.

“They would search the flat and discover I had an invisible mistress. I am bilingual in ­German but whenever I was up against officialdom, I’d become a bumbling idiot who hardly spoke a word of the language.

“Terrible grammar, appalling pronunciation, thick as a plank.

“I was once picked up in Magdeburg by the Stasi and interrogated through the night.

“I was like the PG Wodehouse character Bertie Wooster. Eager to please, helpless, hopeless, hapless and therefore harmless.

“Having shouted at me all night, they took me down a long corridor to a door. I didn’t know whether it was the execution chamber or what it could be.

“Turned out to be the car park. They were chucking me out.

“As I was getting in the car, I heard one of them say ‘He’s too stupid to be an agent’. I drove out of the car park and gave them an elegant two fingers.”

A man in a fedora sits at an outdoor cafe table, reading a magazine.
The Day of the Jackal sparked a Bafta-winning film and a series featuring Eddie RedmayneCredit: Marcell Piti
Photo of Frederick Forsyth in a pilot's uniform at age 19.
Freddie aged 19 in his pilot uniformCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
Black and white photo of Frederick Forsyth.
Freddie started his career as a pilot before becoming a journalistCredit: Alamy
Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
North Korean IT workers infiltrated Fortune 500 companies in massive fraud scheme

North Korean IT Workers Deceive Fortune 500 Companies in Major Fraud Operation

Federal authorities have discovered numerous plans by North Korea to finance its…
Emergency personnel near a casualty on a stretcher after a chemical factory explosion.

Tragic Explosion in India: Drug Factory’s Chemical Reactor Blast Leaves 39 Dead, Building Destroyed

AT LEAST 39 people have died after a chemical reactor exploded inside…
Marvel's 'Ironheart' series explores STEM, self-discovery with Dominique Thorne leading the charge on Disney+

Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’ series delves into STEM and personal growth as Dominique Thorne stars on Disney+

In 2016, an MIT prodigy, Riri Williams, made a remarkable entrance into…
Russia claims gains in Ukraine as US attention focuses on Iran war

Russia Reports Advances in Ukraine Amid US Focus on Conflict with Iran

On Monday evening, Russia announced that it had gained control over the…
Why adults still living with their parents should get their own place — now

Why Adults Living with Their Parents Should Consider Moving Out Now

For the first time in a long while, renting may finally be…
Federal funding still frozen for Northwestern University medical research; school has not heard from Trump administration

Federal Funding Remains Frozen for Northwestern University’s Medical Research; University Awaits Response from Trump Administration

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — Northwestern experienced an unexpected halt in millions of…
Astoria, Queens doctor rape case: Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng pleads guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting patients in New York

Queens Doctor in Astoria Admits to Drugging and Sexually Assaulting Patients: Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng Pleads Guilty in New York

QUEENS — A 35-year-old gastroenterologist, Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, confessed to numerous…
Katy Perry tears up in emotional tour video after Orlando Bloom breakup

Katy Perry Gets Emotional in Tour Video Following Split From Orlando Bloom

Katy Perry is performing through the pain. The “Cry About It Later”…
East Coast flyers face travel nightmare after weather sparks delays ahead of holiday weekend

East Coast Travelers Experience Delays Due to Weather Ahead of Holiday Weekend

Many key airports along the East Coast experienced flight disruptions due to…
Barry Morphew to appear in court after grand jury indictment charging him with wife's murder

Barry Morphew Scheduled for Court Appearance Following Indictment by Grand Jury for Wife’s Murder

Barry Morphew is scheduled for a court appearance for his initial hearing…
DHS: Assaults on ICE now up nearly 700% over same time last year

DHS Reports: Attacks on ICE Increase Almost Sevenfold Compared to Last Year

The Department of Homeland Security informed Fox News that attacks on U.S.…
Police and fire crews responding to a shooting.

Grandfather of Idaho Shooting Suspect Wess Roley Suggests Possible Motive for Attack That Resulted in the Death of Two Firefighters

The alleged shooter who attracted firefighters into the Idaho wilderness using a…