Latest news with #FrederickForsyth
Time of India
13 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Weaponising hunger: Frederick Forsyth's account of a starved region the world ignored
The late Frederick Forsyth was best known for his thriller novels. But his most remarkable work might have been his first book, The Biafra Story (1969), reporting about the region that tried to break away from Nigeria, but was brutally subdued through weaponisation of famine stands out because it wasn't just man made, but also involved deliberate malnutrition of infants. Forsyth explains how the Eastern Region of Nigeria, which tried to become Biafra, 'was more or less self-supporting in food, being able to provide all of its carbohydrates and fruit, but importing quantities of meat from the cattle-breeding north of Nigeria, and bringing in by sea dried stockfish from Scandinavia, and salt'.Biafra's relative fertility and proximity to oilfields encouraged its leaders' hopes of independence. The actual cause was the marginalisation of Nigeria's Igbo minority by northern Nigerian communities. This again was due to the British colonial habit of patching together a country with little thought of those living in it, and then leaving with little care for the consequences. Unlike with India, the British sought to retain influence in Nigeria because of oil. Forsyth blames Biafra's tragedy on the military and diplomatic support from the UK to Nigeria's leaders 'to cover up that the UK's assessment of the Nigerian situation was an enormous judgmental screw-up'.The region's main crop was cassava, which was processed to make an easy-to-cook starch called gari . Cassava tubers had been introduced to West Africa from Brazil, possibly by returned slaves who knew how to process it to remove toxins. In Longthroat Memories , Yemisi Aribisala's collection of essays on Nigerian food, she quotes a friend of her grandfather to show how much the Biafrans came to depend on gari in the depths of the conflict: 'You dared not make a fire. You would never be that foolish… You made cold-water gari with water from the stream or rainwater, or you made something close to the gari in peacetime by using hot urine.' For a bowl, he recommended taking the helmet from a dead soldier 'with great reverence, if there was a head to talk of, and it became your pot and plate and bowl'.For all the horrors of surviving this way, adults could do it — but children could not. Gari was carbohydrates and children need protein for growth, but the Nigerian government cut off access to meat and dried fish. Forsyth describes how children started developing what would become the key image of the Biafran famine, and others to follow in Africa: 'A reddening of the hair, paling of the skin, swelling of the joints and bloating of the flesh as it distends with water.'This was kwashiorkor , a deficiency disease that occurs when children are given carbohydrates, but not enough protein. Cicely Williams, the Jamaican paediatrician who first described the disease, used a word from Ghana which translates grimly as 'the disease of the deposed child' — meaning what happens when a child is denied breast-feeding because another child has been born. The starchy weaning food given to the first child usually lacks the nutrients of milk, leading to kwashiorkor . Images of Biafran children with kwashiorkor broke through the blackout on news imposed by Nigerian leaders and supported by their British led to a remarkable airlift to supply Biafra with protein, mostly fortified milk powder. It was organised by church groups, but implemented by mercenary pilots, who flew from the island of São Tomé, then part of writes with nuance about the mercenaries, who were there for the money, yet bringing relief. It inspired The Dogs of War , his novel about a mercenary-led coup in Africa. Biafra made the world aware of famine as a weapon of war — and yet, as Gaza shows, we have not learned how to stop it.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Corrections: June 17, 2025
An article on Saturday about the attacks in Israel and Iran on Friday misstated which Iranian official addressed the United Nations Security Council on Friday. It was Iran's U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, not Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. An article on Saturday about the victims of the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport that crashed into the facilities of a nearby medical college misstated the surname of a family friend of one of the crash victims. He is Sanjay Jhajjar, not Chhibber. An article on Saturday about the Trump administration's shifting rationale for detaining Mahmoud Khalil after a federal judge ruled that the government could not continue to hold the Columbia University graduate under its initial justification misspelled the surname of a former homeland security official. He is Scott Shuchart, not Schuchart. An article on Monday about the wedding of Huma Abedin and Alex Soros's wedding in the Hamptons misstated Ms. Abedin's age. She is 48, not 49. An article on Friday about the six-episode Australian murder mini-series 'The Survivors' misidentified the character Mia in the series. Mia is Kieran's girlfriend and the mother of his child; she is not his wife. An obituary on June 11 about Frederick Forsyth, the author of 'The Day of the Jackal' and other thrillers, referred incorrectly to an incident in 1973 when Mr. Forsyth, working for British intelligence, traveled to Dresden, which was then in East Germany. Although he recalled that Vladimir V. Putin was the K.G.B. station chief there at the time, Mr. Putin did not join the K.G.B. until 1975 and was not stationed in Dresden until 1985. An obituary on Sunday about Harris Yulin, the award-winning actor and director, misstated part of the name of a play in which Mr. Yulin appeared in 1963. It is 'Next Time I'll Sing to You,' not 'Next Time I'll Sing for You.' Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@ To share feedback, please visit Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@ For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
The man who made us root for An assassin: A farewell to Forsyth
Dear Reader, The news of Frederick Forsyth's passing sends me upstairs to my grandfather's study. There, through the wood-panelled little room with its writer's leather-topped desk and well worn divan, I head for the bookshelf. Nestled among Wilbur Smith's adventures, Len Deighton thrillers and Desmond Bagley novels, I find what I am looking for—three yellowed paperbacks with crumbling pages. The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Devil's Alternative. Their author, the journalist-turned-novelist who redefined the geopolitical thriller, has died at 86. Looking at these paperbacks, I am back thirty years, to my summer holidays in this house, riveted by Frederick Forsyth. This master thriller writer got me to commit my first literary crime—rooting for a killer ! I followed the Jackal, watching him set up his sniper's nest in a Paris apartment, and actually hoped this assassin would manage to kill Charles de Gaulle. Such is the power of a fiction writer to create empathy for any character, and Forsyth does this superbly for his lone wolf killer in The Day of the Jackal. Little wonder it's sold over 10 million copies, inspiring generations of assassin-protagonist stories from The Manchurian Candidate to Killing Eve. So why should you read Frederick Forsyth? 1. To learn geopolitics - In The Dogs of War, a British mercenary overthrows an African dictator for mineral rights in a fictional Guinea-like nation; it's a pattern that repeats in pursuit of everything from petroleum to silicon chips. In The Odessa File, Nazi networks resurface just as far-right fascist networks today mutate and reappear—they never disappear. 2. For geography and history - This former journalist spent years reporting on the troubled hotspots of the world, from the Biafran War to the Cold War's front lines, and he sets his novels in these conflict zones, everywhere from Europe to Africa to Iraq and Afghanistan. 3. Real insights into military technology - This former RAF pilot-turned-journalist-turned-author features cutting-edge technology—military intelligence, espionage and drone warfare (The Kill List) and details their real-world ramifications. He was prescient about disinformation too (The Fourth Protocol). 4. An insider's view into unholy alliances - Forsyth's books reveal alliances between democratic governments, military contractors, dictators, intelligence agencies and opium smugglers (The Afghan). While this is fiction, much of it is based on real-world politics, making it both insightful and instructive. 5. The books make for great reading - Forsyth is a master storyteller. His books are perfectly paced with memorable characters (the assassin, the journalist, the spy) and non-stop action that keeps you turning pages . Forsyth's autobiography offers riveting insights from a reporter who knew too much. Forsyth was a correspondent in conflict zones, rumoured to be a spy for MI6, the British intelligence service. As he writes: 'The Stasi arrested me, the Israelis regaled me, the IRA prompted a quick move from Ireland to England, and a certain attractive Czech secret police agent—well, her actions were a bit more intimate. And that's just for starters.' A fascinating life, told with thriller-like prose, only everything here is true. Goodbye Frederick Forsyth, and thank you for the sleepless nights spent racing through your pages. Thank you for giving us geopolitics wrapped in pacy prose. Thank you for showing us the world in all its complexity—for investigating morality in the world's darkest corners. Above all, thank you for telling us uncomfortable truths in such an entertaining way that we couldn't look away. From Forsyth's Shadows to The Safekeep: 2024's Women's Prize Winner From the geopolitical shadows of Forsyth's fiction to the emotional shadows of post-war Europe, this year's Women's Prize winner, Dutch trans writer Yale van der Wouden exposes hidden histories through a Rebecca-like gothic tale of love and grief, set in post-war Netherlands, in the shadow of the Holocaust. Creepy and compelling, even if it reads a tad too 'arty'. And finally, as Father's Day approaches, these lines by Dylan Thomas, from Fatherhood: poems about Fathers, remind us of the fierceness of fatherly love and loss. Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light… And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. What are your favourite father and child poems ? (Sonya Dutta Choudhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and the founder of Sonya's Book Box, a bespoke book service. Each week, she brings you specially curated books to give you an immersive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or reading dilemmas, write to her at sonyasbookbox@ The views expressed are personal.)
Hans India
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 15th June 2025
Farewell Frederick Forsyth It was the forever 'Day of Frederick Forsyth' in the thriller writing genre till his death. His end marks the end of a glorious era in crime fiction writing. His novels always depicted victory of good over the evil. His artful narration kept the reader engaged constantly page after page their heart pounding till the last page. Most of his novels made it to the best seller's lists, while over a dozen of his novels were made into movies (in multiple languages). His debut book 'Day of the Jackal' (1973) made Forsyth a "world star writer" overnight. Its intriguing plot remained the foundation of all his future books. The movie based on it was as intriguing and a super hit globally. Sreelekha PS, Boudhnagar Secunderabad-61 Israel and Iran must end hostilities The escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran is quite 'alarming ' as it would eventually destabilize the region. Launching of ' Operation Rising Lion' by the Israeli forces to "defang" Iran from making nuclear arsenal, as it feared that it would endanger the ' very survival of Israel'. The killing of the Commander- in- Chief of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Chief of the Staff of the Iranian armed forces is quite chilling. Though the U. S. Secretary of State unequivocally claimed that the USA was not involved in the strike and termed it as Israel's unilateral action, the fact remains that Tel Aviv enjoys Washington's tacit support. Both Israel and Iran should prioritize 'dialogue and diplomacy' and diffuse the tensions, at once. R. J. Janardhana Rao, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad-28 India and Switzerland can play peacemakers Israel has claimed responsibility for bombing Iran's nuclear sites under "Operation Rising Lion," citing existential threats. The U.S., while beginning evacuation of its embassy staff in Tehran, has denied involvement, calling it a unilateral Israeli decision. However, Iran suspects U.S. complicity and has threatened retaliation against both nations—potentially exposing U.S. nuclear secrets and escalating the crisis. The region stands on the edge, with fears of a broader conflict. To diffuse tensions, international mediation, possibly by neutral powers like India or Switzerland, is crucial. India, with its balanced ties and regional influence, can play a vital role in fostering dialogue, urging de-escalation and promoting nuclear transparency to ensure peace in West Asia and stability across the broader South Asian region. RS Narula, Patiala A war that could reach our doorstep The rising conflict between Israel and Iran is no longer a regional issue—it's a global powder keg. With India's diaspora spread across both nations, diplomatic silence is no longer an option. Airstrikes in Tehran and retaliatory threats point to a spiralling crisis. What if the next missile endangers an Indian life? While the world watches like spectators, India must assert its neutral voice for de-escalation. Geopolitical chess games often crush the pawns. Do we wait until one of our own is caught in the crossfire? Hasnain, Patnavi Iran is not complying Since Iran is not complying with its obligations to the UN a regards curtailing nuclear arms propagations, Israel has launched major airstrikes deep inside Iran against nuclear infra-structure. This stems from growing concern that Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons, which can be a potential risk to Israel's very survival. If Iran retaliates then it will endanger world peace and adversely impact global trade. B V Thampi, Tamil Nadu Operation 'Rising Lion' Israel attacked Iran in the name of 'Operation Rising Lion' on Friday. Its precision attacks destroyed not only nuclear centres of Iran but also killed its military higherups and prominent nuclear scientists. It is obvious that the operation is being executed with Washington's tacit support, which is evidenced by US President Donald Trump's comments that Iran would face severe attacks in the coming days. Further the US authorities clarified that they had given 60 days to Tehran to come to a nuclear pact with the US, but it had failed to respond. On the other hand, Israel doubted that Iran's nuclear programme would be great threat to it as it would support Hezbollah and Houthi. West Asia is in trouble. Moreover Iran 's supreme leader Khamenei and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are challenging each other with retaliatory attacks. This conflict is leading to severe economic disturbances. India faces 40-50 per cent increase in fuel, which will push inflation in the country. All the countries must do their best to bring the warring groups to the negotiating table to usher in peace in West Asia. Pratapa Reddy Yaramala, Tiruvuru (AP) Safe school buses are a must This refers to 'RTA officials out to rein in rogue school buses in city' (June 12). School bus safety is a major concern. Reckless driving, poor maintenance, and obstructive stops pose risks to students, pedestrians and other drivers. I suggest that authorities should enforce speed limits, lane discipline and safe stopping procedures for school buses; regular inspections to ensure buses are well-maintained, including brakes, tires, and emergency exits. hefty fines or license suspension for repeated traffic violations by bus operators. GPS tracking and speed governors can help monitor bus movement and prevent excessive speeding. Cameras inside and outside buses can deter reckless behaviour and ensure safe driving. Automatic braking and collision avoidance systems that prevent accidents. schools should have designated pick-up and drop-off points to minimize road disruptions. Drivers should undergo specialized training focused on safe driving techniques and handling school bus routes. Parents, schools, and students must be educated on reporting violations and ensuring accountability and demand higher safety standards. Schools should work with RTOs to ensure compliance with transport laws. Dr O Prasada Rao, Hyderabad US - China deal fuels ambiguity US President Donald Trump's announcement of a possible extension of the July 9 deadline for concluding ongoing trade negotiations offers only limited reassurance to America's trading partners. This move reflects Washington's implicit acknowledgment of the complexity involved in forging bilateral trade deals, especially as it juggles negotiations with 15 major trading partners, including India. While New Delhi is reportedly in the final stages of hammering out an agreement with the US, it remains unclear whether a deal can be secured by the original deadline—or how long the extension might last. So far, the US has only finalised a trade deal with the UK and reached a tentative, detail-scarce agreement with China. As announced by Trump on Truth Social, the preliminary deal with China includes a 55 per cent US tariff on Chinese imports and a 10 per cent Chinese tariff on American goods, along with reciprocal relaxations on student visas, rare-earth exports, and selective high-tech items. However, the durability of this arrangement is uncertain. While both nations appear to be walking back earlier tariff escalations, underlying tensions persist—especially given China's strategic dominance over the global supply of rare-earth elements, which are critical to a wide range of industries from electronics to defence. Beijing's leverage in this sector could potentially shape the final terms of the agreement. For other trading partners observing from the sidelines, the US-China arrangement signals that any future deals might cement higher baseline tariffs compared to pre-trade war norms. The global economy remains on edge, with the OECD projecting a sharp slowdown in US growth—from 2.8 per cent in 2024 to 1.6 per cent this year—and inflation expected to hover above the Fed's target into 2026. As such, despite the optics of diplomatic progress, uncertainty remains the defining feature of the global trade environment under the Trump administration's evolving policies. Amarjeet Kumar, Hazaribagh Relief for children from overloaded school bags Once an academic year starts, it is back to the painstaking days when children have no other option but struggle carrying heavy bag to school. It is an everyday cumbersome exercise. As a result, many of them suffer from shoulder and back pain. I would like to suggest to every parent to get each text book divided into two parts and binding them separately. The second part is only meant for the second half of the year by when the first part would have been done with. The notebooks may have less number of pages. Once one is over, the second notebook may be used for that subject. This will bring noticeable relief to the children as the weight of the school bag would be reduced considerably. I am sure that when one parent implements this measure, the others will follow suit. K L Rao Bangalore-64 Purposeful thinking in the scientific age We live in an era of astonishing scientific progress — AI, genetic engineering, quantum leaps. Yet, we witness a disturbing void: a lack of purposeful thinking among the youth. They have gadgets in hand but no goal in mind. Innovation thrives not on information, but on intention. Nature itself reflects design and direction. Why, then, does our education system promote success, but not substance? We applaud smart minds but ignore wise hearts. Isn't it time we stop producing only skilled professionals and start nurturing conscious, ethical thinkers? Because without purpose, even the brightest science may not serve the darkest ends. Rabbani Hasnain Patna Adi Shankrachaya , the father figure of Sanyas-Parampara Adi Shankracharya established four shrines in four directions-Govardhan peetha, Sharda peetha, Dwarika peetha and Jyotirmaya peetha. In 547 AD he went on to initiate Dashnami Sanyasi or Akhada Parampara. The ten include Teerth, Ashram, Vana, Aranya, Parvat, Sagar, Saraswati, Bharti, Giri and Puri. Thereafter two more Akhadas came into existence by the virtue of Shir Chand, son of Guru Nanak Dev. The 13th of them was Nirmal Akhada, votaries (sadhus) of which draw inspiration from all the Sikh gurus and Guru Granth Sahib. In order to inflame the spirit of Dhrama the institution of Akhadas grew into active form in the Mughal-period. The institution is said to be named as Akhadas after the arrogant (akkhad in Hindi) nature of sadhus. In case of the marriage and crimes like killing they are excommunicated from the Akhada. However, in the wake of a stampede during the 1954 Kumbha the Akhada Parishad came into being in an organized form. Earlier, sadhus performed rituals of austerity according to their will. It was Shankaracharya, who formed Akhadas. In 1260 the army of Muslim Slave-dynasty attacked Kankhal, one of the 'Panch Teerth of Haridwar, also the abode of Gurukul Kangri. In the battle that continued for 11 days, Naga Sadhus emerged victorious, although 5000 sadhus were martyred! The battle as led by Mahant Bhagwananda. The symbols of bravery, the two spears 'Surya Prakash' and 'Bhairav Prakash' used in the battle are still laid in all sanctity in the cantonment of Kankhal. Every year these spears are worshipped on the eve of Vijayadashami. Er. Rajesh Pathak Nehru nagar, Bhopal From population explosion to population collapse Major health care and development has resulted in a dramatic fall in India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR). It is now way below the replacement rate, sounding alarm bells all across. This warns of an imminent population bomb exploding in the world's most populous nation. The country's TFR has declined to 1.9 births per women falling below the replacement level of 2.1. The population is expected to grow till there is a decline in about 40 years, according to UN demographic report of "State of the World population 2025". The crisis is not about under or over population but millions of people, not able to realize their real fertility goals, wish to make free and informed choices about sex and contraception in the changing environment. The report underscores major shifts in population composition, fertility and life expectancy, signalling a demographic transition. TFR measures the number of children a women is expected to have throughout her reproductive age, according to Sample Registration System Statistical report. India's demographic dividend remains significant with 24 per cent in the age bracket (0-14 years), 17 per cent in (10-19 years) and 26 per cent in (10-24 years). The most striking feature is that 68 per cent of population is the working age (15-64 years), which calls for adequate employment and policy support. The report underscores demographic resilience for policy makers that embeds population polices- including migration and reproductive health as well human capital development with focus on sexual and reproductive health and appropriate population policies. Gudipati Rajendera Kumar, Hyderabad
Telegraph
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Historians mocked Frederick Forsyth's The Odessa File – but it may have helped catch a Nazi
The death of the novelist, bon viveur and (by his own admission) long-standing MI6 informant, Frederick Forsyth has brought sorrow to the millions of readers who knew that his books were page-turners par excellence. He never pretended to be a great literary stylist, and readily admitted that his primary motivation for writing was financial rather than artistic, but his journalistic attention to detail, ability to come up with complex yet entirely comprehensible storylines and brisk, exciting plotting meant that a Frederick Forsyth book would grip from the first page to the last. The novel which he is best known for is his debut, 1971's excellent The Day of the Jackal, and few would minimise the impact that it had upon his career. Yet it is his follow-up, 1972's The Odessa File, which led to its own, more consequential tale. It revolves around the young German freelance journalist Peter Miller who, nearly two decades after the end of WWII, investigates the workings of a mysterious organisation known by the acronym 'ODESSA', which stands for 'Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen' – otherwise 'Organisation of Former Members of the SS'. (Forsyth's writing cannot be described as subtle, but it's undeniably effective.) Over the course of its three hundred-odd pages, Miller finds himself being pursued by hitmen hired by the former SS officers, as he goes in search of its members, and attempts to discover what their nefarious plans are. Just as The Day of the Jackal blended fact – derived from Forsyth's time as a BBC journalist – and fiction to convincing effect, so the success of The Odessa File lies in Forsyth's ability to take an apparently outlandish conceit and make it seem believable. The initial idea for the book came from a Sunday Times article written in July 1967 by the journalist Antony Terry. The piece published a series of unreliable, at times simply false, rumours and stories about escaped Nazis, largely put about by the Holocaust survivor-turned-Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. It was common knowledge that several high-ranking Nazis, most notably Adolf Eichmann, had fled to Argentina after the conclusion of WWII, and that some Germans of dubious loyalty had also remained in their home country; others headed over to the United States in order to work on the then-nascent space programme. Wiesenthal was fed inaccurate information – which he then passed over to Terry – by Wilhelm Höttl, a Nazi turned American counter-intelligence agent. Höttl claimed that 'Odessa' – in reality an informal codeword used by small, semi-independent groups of former SS men to identify themselves to one another – was in fact a carefully organised conspiracy with worldwide reach, which was responsible for the expatriation of leading Nazis to South America. Höttl was a highly unreliable witness whose primary interests were saving his own skin and appropriating wealth in the process – he had ensured that he had access to many of the Swiss bank accounts that the desperate Germans were placing their money in towards the end of WWII. But it suited Wiesenthal's agenda as a self-styled Nazi hunter to further a narrative of all-powerful SS men at large, including Eichmann and Hitler's private secretary Martin Bormann. Eichmann was eventually captured in Argentina, taken to Israel and executed in 1962. Bormann – who, in reality, had committed suicide in Germany in 1945, a fact only discovered in 1973 – was supposed to be at large somewhere in the world, carrying on the Führer's nefarious plans and dreaming of creating a Fourth Reich. Terry's Sunday Times article suggested, with no credible evidence whatsoever, that Odessa had managed not only to extract Bormann from Germany, but that it was an all-powerful organisation with anti-Israeli intentions, intent on destroying the newly formed state. Terry's article may have been largely fantastical, parlaying small nuggets of truth into a largely imagined story. But it drew Forsyth's attention and led to his using it as the basis for his second novel, which came swiftly after the enormous success of The Day of the Jackal. It is testament to how quickly publishing moved (and Forsyth wrote) in the early Seventies that the book first appeared in October 1972; a mere 16 months after Jackal's initial appearance in Britain. He had written Jackal in 35 days, and although Odessa was not produced in quite such a rush, demand for a new book meant that it was fast-tracked by the eager publishers. Forsyth's journalistic instincts and ability to tell a ripping yarn are on full display throughout the novel, from the incorporation of real-life characters (including Wiesenthal, who acted as an informal adviser and is therefore portrayed as a flattering mixture of Sherlock Holmes and Oskar Schindler) to the carefully worked-out German setting. It begins in 1963, shortly after JFK's assassination, which gives it the slightest air of distance from the events depicted but nonetheless keeps it supposedly realistic. And there are brilliantly observed suspenseful moments that have the same air of verisimilitude as many of the events in Jackal. Miller escapes assassination by car bomb, for instance, because the hitman's explosives are defeated by his Jaguar XK150's particularly tight suspension. Nazis have always made for effective villains, and the antagonists in The Odessa File are no exception. The principal baddie Eduard Roschmann, the 'Butcher of Riga' – so called because he was the commandant of the notorious Riga Ghetto during 1943 – is shown in an appropriately nefarious light. At the time that the book was written, Roschmann was in hiding in Argentina, having become a naturalised citizen under the pseudonym 'Frederico Wagner' – the surname perhaps a nod to Hitler's favourite composer – and Forsyth's portrayal of him was heavily laden with dramatic licence. Although his current hiding place was not then known, Eichmann's high-profile apprehension the decade before had suggested that Nazis were drawn to the anonymity of South America: accurately, in this case. Many of the fictitious Roschmann's traits and actions are, of course, pure invention – for instance, he is said to answer to SS general Richard Glücks, who died in 1945, and his passport is supposedly procured by Odessa, who were not capable of such intricate acts of forgery. But it was still an act of relative daring to use a real-life, and presumably very much alive, mass murderer as the antagonist, although a man who was on the run for crimes against humanity was hardly likely to pop up and sue for libel. Although the novel has been described as inaccurate, others have lauded it for sticking relatively close to known facts. 'We cannot blame Forsyth for being inaccurate,' the historian Matteo San Filippo said. 'He was writing a thriller, not an historical essay. The incidents were based on fact and the overall impression was not inaccurate.' Certainly, it was marketed as fiction, albeit of the sophisticated variety. The first edition blurb read, 'Many characters in The Odessa File are real people. Others may puzzle the reader as to whether they are true or fictional, and the publishers do not wish to elucidate further because it is in this ability to perplex the reader that much of the grip of the story lies.' It soon proved a big hit when it was published in October, and, like its predecessor, sold in its millions. It has remained consistently in print ever since it was published, and, after Jackal and perhaps the Fourth Protocol, remains Forsyth's best-known novel. However, it received mixed reviews, with some finding it a let-down after Jackal and others praising it as a fresh masterpiece by the thrilling new talent. The Guardian announced that 'in Forsyth's hands the 'documentary thriller' had assumed its most sophisticated form'. But the New York Times, in a scathing review entitled 'Live bombs and dud people', took issue with the publisher's hints that the novel was based on never-before-revealed sources. Its critic Richard P Brickner stated that the 'book's absorbing facts, made livelier for a while by their moral urgency, will probably sour in your mouth as the moral urgency becomes discoloured'; it went on to criticise the protagonist Miller as colourless, the novel as more concerned with sensation than accuracy and, most damningly, wrote that Forsyth had created a 'vulgar stew of hideous documented fact and flimsy melodrama'. Brickner concluded, 'The Odessa File leaves one feeling that Forsyth has borrowed painful, live history in order to spring a few quick thrills.' This may have been unfair, but the book's huge commercial success led to the film rights being purchased swiftly and an adaptation going into production almost immediately after it was published. It was directed by veteran British filmmaker Ronald Neame, who had had a significant success with 1972's The Poseidon Adventure, and starred Jon Voight, recently Oscar-nominated for his breakthrough role in Midnight Cowboy. It did not enjoy either the same critical or commercial success as the 1973 adaptation of The Day of the Jackal, though – the New York Times continued its vendetta by remarking that it was largely devoid of suspense, and that 'these Nazis don't have as much fun as those in The Night Porter'. But it did have one unexpected and welcome legacy. Roschmann was played in the film by the Oscar-winning Swiss actor Maximilian Schell, one of the country's biggest post-war stars. Flattering casting, perhaps; certainly enough to make a vain man want to see it. Forsyth told the Daily Telegraph in 2011 that the picture indirectly led to the real-life Roschmann's exposure. 'They made [the novel] into a film, which was screened in a little fleapit cinema south of Buenos Aires, where a man stood up and said, 'I know that man, he lives down the street from me,' and denounced him. [The suspect] decided to make a run for it to Paraguay and died of a heart attack on the river crossing. They buried him in an unmarked gravel pit. I hope they tossed a copy of the book on top of him.' As often with Forsyth, there is a slight element of letting a good story overwhelm the facts – Roschmann died in Paraguay on August 8 1977, several years after the picture opened, rather than in the midst of a dramatic flight. But nonetheless, the renewed attention directed towards him made him a marked man and ensured that he died a hunted fugitive rather than a complacent Argentine citizen. The Odessa File remains one of Forsyth's most-loved novels, and continues to captivate readers long after its publication. It was announced late last year that he had written a belated sequel, co-written with the novelist Tony Kent, entitled Revenge of Odessa. While no claims are being made for its torn-from-the-headlines qualities this time round, the publisher's blurb makes the book sound like a suitably gripping yarn. Set in both Germany and the United States, the novel revolves around Miller's grandson Georg (a 'journalist and podcaster', we learn) investigating a series of apparently unconnected atrocities that make him the target for hitmen. This is, naturally, because he discovers that 'his would-be assassins are from an organisation known as the Odessa, a menacing and powerful Nazi group intent on regaining power.' As the cover screams, 'The Nazis were never defeated. They were just biding their time.' The book is published this October (assuming Forsyth managed to finish it) and, with luck, will prove both a fitting sequel and an appropriate swansong for its legendary author. Yet even if it is a disappointment, it should still retain its own fascination. Forsyth commented when the book was announced that 'While The Odessa File was a product of my imagination over 50 years ago, the political realities it describes are still very much with us.' The Nazis themselves may have largely vanished, but with Putin all-powerful in Russia, North Korea's nuclear capabilities and the still-uncertain agenda of China, the concept of a totalitarian state is still more than timely. After all, the Nazi antagonists of the Odessa movement may never have existed as such, but Forsyth knew villainy where he saw it. Come October, the great storyteller's final book should demonstrate his legendary talents, one last time.
