Author of The Day Of The Jackal Frederick Forsyth has died
The former RAF pilot and investigative journalist turned novelist was also known for his thrilling crime books The Fox, The Kill List and The Afghan.
Monday 9 June 2025 21:13, UK
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.
His book The Day Of The Jackal was turned into a 1973 film and last year a TV series on Sky Atlantic featuring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.
The best-selling author was surrounded by his family when he died on Monday morning, Curtis Brown added.
Read more: Eddie Redmayne says preparing for role in film almost ended in disaster
Forsyth, a former RAF pilot and investigative journalist turned novelist, was also known for his thrilling crime books The Fox, The Kill List and The Afghan.
He was born in Ashford, Kent, in 1938 and joined 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 the inspiration for The Day Of The Jackal, which was published in 1971.
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In 2000, he became the first high-profile British writer to agree to publish a book exclusively on the internet.
He revealed he had extensive involvement with MI6 in his 2015 memoir The Outsider: My Life In Intrigue.
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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."
The Day of the Jackal is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW.