‘Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
For a half-century, Mr. Forsyth was one of the most successful authors of the cloak-and-dagger circuit. He wrote more than 20 novels, short stories and other works, reportedly selling more than 75 million copies in more than a dozen languages. Many of his books, featuring high-stakes action and protagonists pitted against seemingly impossible odds, were made into movies or TV dramas.
Unlike John le Carré, a contemporary who delved into the moral ambiguities of Cold War espionage, Mr. Forsyth never pretended to be anything other than, by his own description, 'just a storyteller.' Book critics were generally kind, often praising his blistering plot pace and meticulous attention to detail.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Born in Kent, in southern England, in 1938, Mr. Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for 'The Day of the Jackal,' his political thriller about a professional assassin.
Advertisement
Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring
In 2015, Mr. Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the
Advertisement
Although Mr. Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and 'it was hard to say no' to officials seeking information.
'The zeitgeist was different,' he told the BBC. 'The Cold War was very much on.'
He wrote more than 25 books including 'The Afghan,' 'The Kill List,' 'The Dogs of War,' and 'The Fist of God' that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said.
His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that 'Revenge of Odessa,' a sequel to the 1974 book 'The Odessa File' that Mr. Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August.
'Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire,' Scott-Kerr said.
Material from The Washington Post was used in this obituary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Barry Morphew Indicted in Murder of Wife: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Colorado grand jury indicted Barry Morphew earlier this week on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 disappearance and death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, according to court records reviewed by Newsweek. Barry Morphew, 57, was arrested in Arizona just days after the indictment and is being held on a $3 million cash-only bail as prosecutors seek his extradition to the San Luis Valley, court records show. Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared from the couple's Chaffee County home in May 2020, and her remains were not discovered until September 2023, Newsweek previously reported. Why It Matters This case has drawn nationwide attention, fueled by multiple failed prosecutions, the unusual circumstances of Suzanne's disappearance, and renewed debate over law enforcement accountability. The saga underscores the challenges of investigating and prosecuting cold cases in the United States, especially when initial proceedings are marred by procedural errors as seen in this case. What To Know Suzanne disappeared on May 10, 2020, from her family home in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Her remains were ultimately found in a shallow grave near Moffat, Colorado, in September 2023 while officials investigated an unrelated matter. The autopsy concluded her death was a homicide "by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine [BAM] intoxication," The Washington Post reported. Barry was initially charged in 2021, before his wife's remains had been found, but the case was dismissed in 2022. A judge found significant prosecutorial misconduct, including failure to release potentially exculpatory evidence—such as unknown male DNA discovered in Suzanne's SUV—resulting in the disbarment of former District Attorney Linda Stanley, according to the Associated Press. After charges were dropped, Barry sued police and prosecutors for $15 million for wrongful prosecution, as previously reported by Newsweek. That lawsuit was dismissed in 2024 and Barry, along with his legal team, have maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. The new indictment draws on forensic evidence from Suzanne's remains, location data, and prescription records. According to prosecutors, no one apart from Barry purchased BAM in the relevant region of Colorado for years leading up to Suzanne's disappearance. Investigators found a tranquilizer dart gun and associated paraphernalia at the Morphew home, according to The Denver Post. The Washington Post reported that phone records cited in the indictment suggest that after sending a selfie to her extramarital partner on May 9, 2020, Suzanne did not use her phone further, and Barry placed his own phone in airplane mode around the same time. Surveillance and cellphone data reportedly tracked Barry disposing items in multiple trash containers on the morning following his wife's disappearance. This photo provided by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office shows Barry Morphew when he was arrested in connection with the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, on May 5, 2021. This photo provided by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office shows Barry Morphew when he was arrested in connection with the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, on May 5, 2021. Chaffee County Sheriff's Office via AP What People Are Saying Anne Kelly, the district attorney in Colorado's 12th Judicial District, said during a Friday press conference: "Law enforcement, the Chaffee County community and Colorado as a whole has never stopped fighting for justice for Suzanne." David Beller, Barry Morphew's attorney, told The Denver Post in a statement: "Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence. Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed, and the outcome will not either." What Happens Next Barry is expected to be extradited from Arizona to Colorado to face trial on the new charges. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole. Proceedings, meanwhile, will continue in the San Luis Valley. Further hearings and motions are anticipated as both prosecution and defense prepare for trial.
American Military News
10 hours ago
- American Military News
Four arrested after knife attack on exiled Lao democracy activist in France
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. French police have arrested four suspects in connection with a knife attack on exiled Lao democracy activist Joseph Akaravong, including the man who stabbed and seriously wounded the activist before fleeing the scene, local media reported Wednesday. The main suspect – a man in his 30s who stabbed Akaravong three times in the throat and torso on Saturday – was arrested on Tuesday in Nîmes, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) from the city of Pau, Pau public prosecutor Rodolphe Jarry said in a statement on Wednesday. The suspects were not named. Akaravong was rushed to a hospital in Pau in critical condition after the attack. His condition has since stabilized, Jarry told French media. The public prosecutor's office in Pau has launched an investigation into what they are referring to as an 'attempted assassination.' Authorities did not confirm if the attack was politically motivated at this time, reported France's Le Monde. Human rights advocates say the attack fits a broader pattern of targeting activists abroad. Rights group Manushya Foundation described the attack as an example of 'transnational repression.' 'The attack on Joseph is part of a dangerous and escalating pattern, in which authoritarian regimes continue to monitor, pressure, and even harm activists across borders,' the foundation said in a statement. Akaravong, one of the most prominent critics of the communist government in Laos, fled the Southeast Asian nation in 2018 after criticizing the collapse of a saddle dam at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in Attapeu province that killed dozens of villagers. He was granted political asylum in France in March 2022, the foundation said. According to the Manushya Foundation, Akaravong was attacked while he was meeting with another Lao woman activist who had recently traveled to France after completing a five-year prison sentence in Laos last September for her criticism of the government on Facebook. The foundation did not name the woman activist, but last September, Houayheuang Xayabouly was freed from prison in southern Laos. She was arrested in September 2019 after she criticized the government on Facebook for delaying a flood rescue effort. In recent years, other Lao activists have gone missing or faced violence both inside Laos and outside the country, typically in neighboring Thailand. The Pau public prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to RFA's request for comments.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Missing toddler found safe on side of road 90 miles from home — as cops reveal mom's alarming online search before her disappearance
A toddler was found alive and wandering on the side of a Canadian highway nearly 100 miles away from home after a frantic four-day search — as cops revealed her mother made several unsettling online searches, including for children's urns and funeral arrangements, before the tot's disappearance. Claire Bell, 3, was discovered on an Ontario highway Wednesday afternoon, some 90 miles west of her home in Montreal, Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police, said. The tot was seen Sunday morning leaving an emergency exit of her apartment building in Montreal's La Salle region with her mother, Rachel Todd, and her pet chihuahua, according to Le Journal de Montréal. Advertisement Claire Bell, 3, was found alive and wandering on the side of a highway nearly 100 miles away from home after a frantic four-day search. Surete du Quebec Her mother reported Bell missing later in the day in Coteau-du-Lac, about 60 miles away from where she was last seen. A large-scale 'frantic' search was then carried out in Quebec and Ontario following the missing report, according to CTV. Advertisement Hundreds of police and civilians went searching for the missing tot, according to the Montreal Gazette. Bell was found wandering alone on the side of Highway 417 in Ontario after a drone search was deployed over a witness tip, the outlet said. A chihuahua that matched the description of one believed to be with Bell when she was last seen was found dead close to the souvenir shop where Todd reported her daughter missing. Cops are now searching for an important witness who may have more information about what happened in the hours between when Bell was last seen and reported missing by her mother, the outlet reported. Advertisement Bell's mother, Rachel Todd, was arrested and charged with child abandonment. Gilberto Mesquita – The witness is a woman who lives on a farm either in the Montérégie region or in Ontario, speaks English and French, and had met the missing girl's mother on Sunday between when she was last seen and reported missing. Todd, 34, was arrested and charged with child abandonment, according to the outlet. Advertisement Investigators allegedly found alarming online searches, including funeral arrangements and children's urns, when they looked through Todd's phone after her arrest, Le Journal de Montréal reported. 'This story really, really doesn't look good,' a police source working on the case told the outlet. Court proceedings for Todd have been delayed until Friday, the Gazette said.
