The Day Of The Jackal author Frederick Forsyth has died at the age of 86, after a brief illness, his literary agents said. The best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home on Monday morning, Curtis Brown added.
The former RAF pilot and investigative journalist went on to write novels including The Fox, The Kill List, and The Afghan. His agent Jonathan Lloyd said: “We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers.
“Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life – In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC1 – and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived. After serving as one of the youngest ever RAF pilots, he turned to journalism, using his gift for languages in German, French and Russian to become a foreign correspondent in Biafra.
“Appalled at what he saw and using his experience during a stint as a secret service agent, he wrote his first and perhaps most famous novel, The Day Of The Jackal, and instantly became a global best-selling author. 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.”
Born in Ashford, Kent, in 1938, Forsyth – known to his friends as “Freddie” – began his career in the Royal Air Force in 1956 before leaving after two years to pursue a career in journalism.
He covered international stories and the attempted assassination of French general Charles de Gaulle which provided inspiration for his best-selling novel, The Day Of The Jackal, which was published in 1971 and turned into a film starring Edward Fox as the Jackal in 1973.
Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne took on the mantle of the elusive assassin last year in a TV adaption for Sky Atlantic, also starring The Woman King actress Lashana Lynch.
In 2000, Forsyth became the first high-profile British writer to agree to publish a book exclusively on the internet. In his 2015 memoir The Outsider: My Life In Intrigue, he revealed that he had extensive involvement with MI6.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
