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Chacal
Piloto de motocicletas, aspirante a torero en Málaga y aviador de la RAF a los diecisiete años, Frederick Forsyth ingresó muy joven en el periodismo. Enviado por la agencia Reuter a cubrir los viajes del general De Gaulle en la época de los atentados de la OAS, concibió contar un atentado desconocido: el que cometió Chacal.
481 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1971
4511 people are currently reading
66105 people want to read
About the author
Frederick Forsyth
334 books4,312 followersFrederick Forsyth, CBE was a English author and occasional political commentator. He was best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, and more recently, The Cobra and The Kill List.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,550 reviews
April 24, 2025
1981 dawned upon me, bleary-eyed and blitzed out on modecate, as I tried to lounge artfully in the fifth-floor smoking lounge of the Department of Delegating and Disappearing, reading The Day of the Jackal.
Trying to relax to no avail.
You don’t relax on modecate. You either slumber (your brain fried) or perch on tenterhooks.
But my friend Jim couldn’t know that. Big Jim was one of the more affable Ex-military clerks in Delegate and Disappear. His boss, Nancy, was a sight for sore eyes but often disappeared on urgent voluntary errands.
But any manager could have safely disappeared thanks to Jim, once their work had been smilingly delegated.
Jim was a trained logistician, and could do his job with his hands tied behind his back!
So why not tell Jim of my depression, the reason for my meds? Jim would just nod and say with Uncle Mahmou in the wonderful novel Darius the Great is Not OK, “just gotta try harder, Fergus!”
The old KISS Principle - Keep it Simple, Stupid. The Air Force has a cure for every problem.
Per ardua ad astra!
But to the burned out trying harder is not even on the table.
***
But I did manage to finish off the Jackal, before my meds could manage to finish me off. Truth be told, it left me cold. But then, on modecate, life itself leaves you cold.
And Jackal was an expertly told tale - it ran like clockwork, I fondly mused, even though it scared me shirtless.
Why?
Well, back then we English Canadians were outraged at the Premier of France, because he had memorably said Québec should be freed from Canada.
"Long live Free Quebec!" he had shouted.
Meddler...
So frankly, I sweated through the ending of Jackal, for our injurious treatment of him back then would have seemed imminent to us at that moment, had he returned to Canada.
(Once our motive was clear, Canada would need an alibi…
Would France have extradited our federalist head of state in proxy?)
***
Hey - c’mon now, Fergus… don't go there.
But in just such a way, a still-green kid of 31 like me might have dreamed lugubrious nightmares, during a massive smoking-lounge modecate slumber, while big Jim affably grinned on.
But in real life, after Jackal, my life began to unroll much more brightly.
Happiness returned after my doc curtailed my modecate regime upon receiving a glowing assessment from my boss of my progress in somehow understanding the intricacies of logistics!
And, having soon afterward received top marks for a mini course in supply management, I returned more awake to the smoking lounge, now knowing the ropes completely, like Jim.
And smiling affably too, like big Jim, and glad once more to be alive.
For trying harder was once again on the bargaining table.
I would from henceforth "try harder" - just like my dear, depressed Darius - now that each of us had finally found Hope!
Trying to relax to no avail.
You don’t relax on modecate. You either slumber (your brain fried) or perch on tenterhooks.
But my friend Jim couldn’t know that. Big Jim was one of the more affable Ex-military clerks in Delegate and Disappear. His boss, Nancy, was a sight for sore eyes but often disappeared on urgent voluntary errands.
But any manager could have safely disappeared thanks to Jim, once their work had been smilingly delegated.
Jim was a trained logistician, and could do his job with his hands tied behind his back!
So why not tell Jim of my depression, the reason for my meds? Jim would just nod and say with Uncle Mahmou in the wonderful novel Darius the Great is Not OK, “just gotta try harder, Fergus!”
The old KISS Principle - Keep it Simple, Stupid. The Air Force has a cure for every problem.
Per ardua ad astra!
But to the burned out trying harder is not even on the table.
***
But I did manage to finish off the Jackal, before my meds could manage to finish me off. Truth be told, it left me cold. But then, on modecate, life itself leaves you cold.
And Jackal was an expertly told tale - it ran like clockwork, I fondly mused, even though it scared me shirtless.
Why?
Well, back then we English Canadians were outraged at the Premier of France, because he had memorably said Québec should be freed from Canada.
"Long live Free Quebec!" he had shouted.
Meddler...
So frankly, I sweated through the ending of Jackal, for our injurious treatment of him back then would have seemed imminent to us at that moment, had he returned to Canada.
(Once our motive was clear, Canada would need an alibi…
Would France have extradited our federalist head of state in proxy?)
***
Hey - c’mon now, Fergus… don't go there.
But in just such a way, a still-green kid of 31 like me might have dreamed lugubrious nightmares, during a massive smoking-lounge modecate slumber, while big Jim affably grinned on.
But in real life, after Jackal, my life began to unroll much more brightly.
Happiness returned after my doc curtailed my modecate regime upon receiving a glowing assessment from my boss of my progress in somehow understanding the intricacies of logistics!
And, having soon afterward received top marks for a mini course in supply management, I returned more awake to the smoking lounge, now knowing the ropes completely, like Jim.
And smiling affably too, like big Jim, and glad once more to be alive.
For trying harder was once again on the bargaining table.
I would from henceforth "try harder" - just like my dear, depressed Darius - now that each of us had finally found Hope!
August 18, 2011
To those that gave this 4 or 5 stars…I completely get it…I really do.
I found much impressiveness in this classic spy story, despite the 3 star ceiling I ended up placing on it. Technically proficient and drenched in details, this is as authentic an anatomy of an assassination attempt I have ever seen. Forsyth’s “Jackal-like” control over the narrative was singular and I can certainly understand this being considered a classic among the spy-thriller genre.
Despite the significant amount of superior that Forsyth brought to this story, my 3 star rating reflects my lack of engagement in the story resulting largely from what I found to be a lack of well-drawn characters and a dearth of emotion in the narrative. These two missing components prevented me from getting warm and toasty with the story even with the undeniable quality of the plot.
PLOT SUMMARY
A novel in 4 parts.
First, the reader is introduced to the OAS (“Organisation de l'armée secrète”…or “Organization of the Secret Army”), a rabies-loaded, right-wing French nationalist group formed during the Algerian War and dedicated to keeping Algeria part of France…[if I can pause for a brief side note, the OAS completely reminded me of the scene in Monty Python’s, The Meaning of Life when John Cleese said:
Anyway, feeling spiteful, betrayed and more than a little miffed by de Charlie‘s “gall” and his support for Algerian independence, the OAS unsuccessfully tries to pop caps in de Gaulle’s derriere several times, most notably in a French suburb in 1962.
The above is all historical fact and provides a terrific lead in for Forsyth to seamlessly transition into the fictional story.
Part 2 of the story is easily my favorite part of the book. The OAS is in shambles after being infiltrated and decimated by the French “Action” service (the counter-terrorist portion of the French intelligence apparatus). As a result, the head of the OAS decides that the only way to turn things around is to succeed in assassinating de Gaulle and the only way to do that is to bring in aninja professional assassin. Enter…Bruce Willis the Englishman …a nameless, mysterious, high-priced assassin considered the best in the world.
Engaged by the OAS and given complete operational control over the assignment, the rest of this section of the book details….and I mean D.E.T.A.I.L.S.…the Englishbloke’s preparation for the assassination. I was fascinated by this section and thought it felt incredibly authentic. Step by step the reader follows the Englishgent as he arranges the creation of false identities, the design and production of the perfect weapon, extensively studies de Gaulle, selects the appropriate time and place for the kill, and identifies his escape route.
I’ve never seen this kind of detail presented better without intrusion by the “pace-assassins” known of PLOD and BOG. Forsyth eludes both of these story killers and maintains excellent narrative flow. I LOVED IT.
Part 3 focuses on the French government’s counter-terrorist group as they learn of the potential plot and investigate various leads looking for a break. As with the rest of the book, the intricacy of the details is very impressive. However, this is where I started to disengage a bit from the plot due to a lack of emotional investment in the story. Part of this stems from the “intentional coldness” of the Englishman. His whole persona is one of ice which would have been great if contrasted by more emotionally colorful characters in the novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t find that and so it made immersing myself into the story impossible. Lack of immersion led to lack of connection led to lack of interest as the narrative began to seem far too dry.
The fourth part of the book is the climax where we have the Jackal closing in on his target and the Frenchies closing in on the Jackal. Again, technically this was done to perfection and I have no truck with anyone who slapped 5 stars on this story. However, for me, my lack of investment in the narrative continued to plague me and so the amount of tension (of which there should have been plenty) was running on empty. I still enjoyed it, but I kept telling myself that I SHOULD be enjoying it more.
Overall, Forsyth wrote a very impressive book and I would not quibble with it being listed among the classics of the genre. I just found the story a bit dry and the characters a bit too wooden to engage enough to say I really liked it. Thus a solid 3 stars and my respect for Forsyth’s accomplishment.
I found much impressiveness in this classic spy story, despite the 3 star ceiling I ended up placing on it. Technically proficient and drenched in details, this is as authentic an anatomy of an assassination attempt I have ever seen. Forsyth’s “Jackal-like” control over the narrative was singular and I can certainly understand this being considered a classic among the spy-thriller genre.
Despite the significant amount of superior that Forsyth brought to this story, my 3 star rating reflects my lack of engagement in the story resulting largely from what I found to be a lack of well-drawn characters and a dearth of emotion in the narrative. These two missing components prevented me from getting warm and toasty with the story even with the undeniable quality of the plot.
PLOT SUMMARY
A novel in 4 parts.
First, the reader is introduced to the OAS (“Organisation de l'armée secrète”…or “Organization of the Secret Army”), a rabies-loaded, right-wing French nationalist group formed during the Algerian War and dedicated to keeping Algeria part of France…[if I can pause for a brief side note, the OAS completely reminded me of the scene in Monty Python’s, The Meaning of Life when John Cleese said:
I would remind you that [the cormorant] was presented to us by the Corporation of the town of Sudbury to commemorate Empire Day, when we try to remember the names of all those from the Sudbury area who so gallantly gave their lives to keep China British....Sorry, couldn’t resist sprinkling a little MP into the mix.]
Anyway, feeling spiteful, betrayed and more than a little miffed by de Charlie‘s “gall” and his support for Algerian independence, the OAS unsuccessfully tries to pop caps in de Gaulle’s derriere several times, most notably in a French suburb in 1962.
The above is all historical fact and provides a terrific lead in for Forsyth to seamlessly transition into the fictional story.
Part 2 of the story is easily my favorite part of the book. The OAS is in shambles after being infiltrated and decimated by the French “Action” service (the counter-terrorist portion of the French intelligence apparatus). As a result, the head of the OAS decides that the only way to turn things around is to succeed in assassinating de Gaulle and the only way to do that is to bring in a
Engaged by the OAS and given complete operational control over the assignment, the rest of this section of the book details….and I mean D.E.T.A.I.L.S.…the Englishbloke’s preparation for the assassination. I was fascinated by this section and thought it felt incredibly authentic. Step by step the reader follows the Englishgent as he arranges the creation of false identities, the design and production of the perfect weapon, extensively studies de Gaulle, selects the appropriate time and place for the kill, and identifies his escape route.
I’ve never seen this kind of detail presented better without intrusion by the “pace-assassins” known of PLOD and BOG. Forsyth eludes both of these story killers and maintains excellent narrative flow. I LOVED IT.
Part 3 focuses on the French government’s counter-terrorist group as they learn of the potential plot and investigate various leads looking for a break. As with the rest of the book, the intricacy of the details is very impressive. However, this is where I started to disengage a bit from the plot due to a lack of emotional investment in the story. Part of this stems from the “intentional coldness” of the Englishman. His whole persona is one of ice which would have been great if contrasted by more emotionally colorful characters in the novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t find that and so it made immersing myself into the story impossible. Lack of immersion led to lack of connection led to lack of interest as the narrative began to seem far too dry.
The fourth part of the book is the climax where we have the Jackal closing in on his target and the Frenchies closing in on the Jackal. Again, technically this was done to perfection and I have no truck with anyone who slapped 5 stars on this story. However, for me, my lack of investment in the narrative continued to plague me and so the amount of tension (of which there should have been plenty) was running on empty. I still enjoyed it, but I kept telling myself that I SHOULD be enjoying it more.
Overall, Forsyth wrote a very impressive book and I would not quibble with it being listed among the classics of the genre. I just found the story a bit dry and the characters a bit too wooden to engage enough to say I really liked it. Thus a solid 3 stars and my respect for Forsyth’s accomplishment.
June 22, 2019
Forsyth escribe bien. Está muy documentado. Dirige bien la trama y es muy, muy entretenido. Pero, pero, pero no me transmite ninguna emoción. Seguramente, es un problema mío. Aún así, muy buena lectura. He aprendido mucho sobre De Gaulle y sobre cómo se mueve un asesino.
September 20, 2023
I loved, loved, loved this book which is in a category that I don't usually read. Several years ago I saw the equally wonderful film starring the elegant Sir Edward Fox as the Jackal and decided that I wanted to see if the film was true to the book. It was!
It is historic in it's setting, and although we know that General Charles deGaulle was not assassinated, it is so believable that you begin to wonder if maybe you missed something! The OAS, an underground group of the military, are determined to kill the President and take over the government of France. They feel that he has betrayed France after Algeria, a French colony, is returned to the
people of that country. They have tried several times without success and decide to look for a hired hit man with impeccable credentials. It takes them a while to find someone but indeed they do and he is the Chacal.
We follow his activities, which are superbly complicated and appear perfect.......I will not reveal anything else except to say.............It is a page turner that you don't want to put down and don't want to end. It is suspense at its best and highly recommended.
It is historic in it's setting, and although we know that General Charles deGaulle was not assassinated, it is so believable that you begin to wonder if maybe you missed something! The OAS, an underground group of the military, are determined to kill the President and take over the government of France. They feel that he has betrayed France after Algeria, a French colony, is returned to the
people of that country. They have tried several times without success and decide to look for a hired hit man with impeccable credentials. It takes them a while to find someone but indeed they do and he is the Chacal.
We follow his activities, which are superbly complicated and appear perfect.......I will not reveal anything else except to say.............It is a page turner that you don't want to put down and don't want to end. It is suspense at its best and highly recommended.
December 2, 2025
*****This review was originally posted in 2015. Yesterday it was pulled by Goodreads because a member of the Goodreads community complained about the content. The part that was offensive was actually a direct quote from the book so Goodreads and this one person were actually censoring Frederick Forsyth. Hundreds of people pressed the like button for this review and many more than that read the review and none of them complained about the content, but because one person was offended Goodreads decided to censor my review. Why does one person have so much power? Considering how long I've been a valued member of this community you would think that Goodreads would have reached out and asked me to edit the review rather than just yanking my review into oblivion. Ten years this review has been on this site without issues. I've never had a review taken down by Goodreads in all the time I've been a member. I can't express the disappointment I feel with Goodreads for caving to such a priggish complaint. I've given them so much free content that I feel has enhanced the Goodreads community and they reward me by censoring the content I gave freely. Anyway, I hope some of you enjoy rereading this censored review and hopefully I lead a few more people to this superb novel.*****
*****12/1/2025 A New Update on this review. Goodreads has decided to reverse their decision on my review and are now allowing me to repost the review without censoring the content. Thank you Goodreads for seeing reason.
Re: [#1605810] Flagged Day of the Jackal review
Inbox
Goodreads Support Reply
Mon, Dec 1, 11:01 AM (21 hours ago)
to me
Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Upon further review, we've determined that our initial assessment of your review of ‘The Day of the Jackal’ was incorrect - we sincerely apologize for the oversight and any inconvenience this may have caused. Your review complied with our Review Guidelines, and you are welcome to repost it.
We appreciate your understanding and continued contributions to our community.
Please let us know if there's anything else we can help you with.
Sincerely,
The Goodreads Team*****
Now to the regularly scheduled program.
”A professional does not act out of fervour and is therefore more calm and less likely to make elementary errors. Not being idealistic, he is not likely to have second thoughts at the last minute about who else might get hurt in the explosion or whatever method, and being a professional he has calculated the risks to the last contingency. So his chances of success on schedule are surer than anyone else’s, but he will not even enter into operation until he has devised a plan that will enable him not only to complete the mission, but to escape unharmed.”
Charles de Gaulle, the president of France, has alienated many of his top military staff with his decisions regarding French colonies. These same men had supported his return to power believing that he would strengthen the colonies, but de Gaulle had a different objective. He gave Algiers their independence and subsequently most of the rest of France’s colonies as well. The men who were bathed in blood securing those colonies felt betrayed. They formed a coalition called the OAS and recruited members willing to die trying to kill de Gaulle.
They failed.
The book begins with an execution for the attempted assassination of the president of France.
”It is cold at 6:40 in the morning of a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by a firing squad.”
They are soldiers. They know how to kill and have killed, but to assassinate a public figure like de Gaulle requires something more than just someone motivated to kill him. They need a professional.
Enter:
The Jackal.
He is an Englishman, maybe, but who he truly is has been hidden under layers of identities that stretch back to the very first time he killed for money. He is a chameleon. He can change his personality, his appearance, and his passport with one quick stop in a deep doorway. He develops several contingencies for every step of the plan because rigidity is what gets men like him killed.
The men protecting de Gaulle have a difficult job. They have discovered the plot by the OAS after some rather unsavory moments with a member of their inner circle. ”Apart from the breathing, the silence of the cellar was almost tangible. All the men were in shirt sleeves, rolled up high and damp with sweat. The odour was crushing, a stench of sweat, metal, stale smoke, and human vomit. Even the latter, pungent enough, was overpowered by one even stronger, the unmistakable reek of fear and pain.” The problem is that they don’t know enough because even the people who hired The Jackal know very little. De Gaulle is not interested in changing any of his public appearances because of unsubstantiated, well to his mind, rumors. After all he is well aware that there are people who want to kill him all the time.
No one will ever be able to accuse de Gaulle of being a coward, but haughty arrogance he has in spades.
Even with all the men assigned to protect de Gaulle he was still vulnerable to The Jackal.
There is a leak in the inner circle of those that are assigned to find The Jackal. This woman uses her assets to elicit information from her lover that she can pass to the OAS.
”Tell me all about it,” she cooed.”
The leaks go back and forth between both organizations, never giving enough information, but always just enough for those protecting and those intent on killing to alter their plans.
The Jackal goes underground. He seduces a vulnerable Baroness. He is charming and she is in need of reassurances. ”Her thigh was pressed against him below the belly and through the satin of her dress she felt the rigid arrogance of his prick. For a second she withdrew her leg, then pushed it back again. There was no conscious moment of decision-taking; the realization came without effort that she wanted him, badly, between her thighs, insider her belly, all night.”
The line “rigid arrogance of his prick” made me laugh out loud.
The Baroness is not the only one he seduces, lonely homosexuals, as well, serve as a safe haven for him as he makes his way closer and closer to his objective. The Jackal will use anyone and anything to win this game he has started.
The Jackal also knows his hardware.
”As soon as the bullet struck flesh, gristle, or bone, it would experience a sudden deceleration.
The effect on the mercury would be to hurl the droplet forwards towards the plugged front of the bullet. Here its onward rush would rip away the tip of the slug, splaying the lead outwards like the fingers of an open hand or the petals of a blossoming flower. In this shape the leaded projectile would tear through nerve and tissue, ripping, cutting, slicing, leaving fragments of itself over an area the size of a tea-saucer. Hitting the head, such a bullet would not emerge, but would demolish everything inside the cranium, forcing the bone-shell to fragment.”
Can you feel the love for destruction?
Back in 1997 I went to see a movie called The Jackal. I had no clue that it was based on a book. It was just a Friday night entertainment. One highlight of the film is when the actor Jack Black, who I harbor some kind of odd animosity towards, is killed rather spectacularly. Well the character he plays, not the actual actor, but I could suspend belief for a few moments. Bruce Willis plays The Jackal. Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier are playing the characters trying to find him. The setting of the plot has been changed and the timing moved up from the 1950s to the 1990s, but they do actually use plot devices from the Frederick Forsyth book.
There is a 1973 movie that follows the book very closely. I have not seen it, but the reviews of that movie are very good. My intention is to watch it very soon.
Forsyth infused this novel with historical details that added more validity to the plot and added richness to the flow of the narrative. He also included the intricacies of political plotting and the difficulty, even with a small group, in keeping anything a secret. The ruthlessness and the zeal with which the assassin approaches what seems to be an impossible task was unnerving, chilling. The way in which the hands of the investigators are tied at many points by the unwillingness of de Gaulle to cooperate stretches the tension like an overstressed piano string. I was impressed that a 44 year old novel could still have me running through the streets of Paris, with an elevated pulse, hoping to thwart the aims of a diabolical killer.
*****12/1/2025 A New Update on this review. Goodreads has decided to reverse their decision on my review and are now allowing me to repost the review without censoring the content. Thank you Goodreads for seeing reason.
Re: [#1605810] Flagged Day of the Jackal review
Inbox
Goodreads Support Reply
Mon, Dec 1, 11:01 AM (21 hours ago)
to me
Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Upon further review, we've determined that our initial assessment of your review of ‘The Day of the Jackal’ was incorrect - we sincerely apologize for the oversight and any inconvenience this may have caused. Your review complied with our Review Guidelines, and you are welcome to repost it.
We appreciate your understanding and continued contributions to our community.
Please let us know if there's anything else we can help you with.
Sincerely,
The Goodreads Team*****
Now to the regularly scheduled program.
”A professional does not act out of fervour and is therefore more calm and less likely to make elementary errors. Not being idealistic, he is not likely to have second thoughts at the last minute about who else might get hurt in the explosion or whatever method, and being a professional he has calculated the risks to the last contingency. So his chances of success on schedule are surer than anyone else’s, but he will not even enter into operation until he has devised a plan that will enable him not only to complete the mission, but to escape unharmed.”
Charles de Gaulle, the president of France, has alienated many of his top military staff with his decisions regarding French colonies. These same men had supported his return to power believing that he would strengthen the colonies, but de Gaulle had a different objective. He gave Algiers their independence and subsequently most of the rest of France’s colonies as well. The men who were bathed in blood securing those colonies felt betrayed. They formed a coalition called the OAS and recruited members willing to die trying to kill de Gaulle.
They failed.
The book begins with an execution for the attempted assassination of the president of France.
”It is cold at 6:40 in the morning of a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by a firing squad.”
They are soldiers. They know how to kill and have killed, but to assassinate a public figure like de Gaulle requires something more than just someone motivated to kill him. They need a professional.
Enter:
The Jackal.
He is an Englishman, maybe, but who he truly is has been hidden under layers of identities that stretch back to the very first time he killed for money. He is a chameleon. He can change his personality, his appearance, and his passport with one quick stop in a deep doorway. He develops several contingencies for every step of the plan because rigidity is what gets men like him killed.
The men protecting de Gaulle have a difficult job. They have discovered the plot by the OAS after some rather unsavory moments with a member of their inner circle. ”Apart from the breathing, the silence of the cellar was almost tangible. All the men were in shirt sleeves, rolled up high and damp with sweat. The odour was crushing, a stench of sweat, metal, stale smoke, and human vomit. Even the latter, pungent enough, was overpowered by one even stronger, the unmistakable reek of fear and pain.” The problem is that they don’t know enough because even the people who hired The Jackal know very little. De Gaulle is not interested in changing any of his public appearances because of unsubstantiated, well to his mind, rumors. After all he is well aware that there are people who want to kill him all the time.
No one will ever be able to accuse de Gaulle of being a coward, but haughty arrogance he has in spades.
Even with all the men assigned to protect de Gaulle he was still vulnerable to The Jackal.
There is a leak in the inner circle of those that are assigned to find The Jackal. This woman uses her assets to elicit information from her lover that she can pass to the OAS.
”Tell me all about it,” she cooed.”
The leaks go back and forth between both organizations, never giving enough information, but always just enough for those protecting and those intent on killing to alter their plans.
The Jackal goes underground. He seduces a vulnerable Baroness. He is charming and she is in need of reassurances. ”Her thigh was pressed against him below the belly and through the satin of her dress she felt the rigid arrogance of his prick. For a second she withdrew her leg, then pushed it back again. There was no conscious moment of decision-taking; the realization came without effort that she wanted him, badly, between her thighs, insider her belly, all night.”
The line “rigid arrogance of his prick” made me laugh out loud.
The Baroness is not the only one he seduces, lonely homosexuals, as well, serve as a safe haven for him as he makes his way closer and closer to his objective. The Jackal will use anyone and anything to win this game he has started.
The Jackal also knows his hardware.
”As soon as the bullet struck flesh, gristle, or bone, it would experience a sudden deceleration.
The effect on the mercury would be to hurl the droplet forwards towards the plugged front of the bullet. Here its onward rush would rip away the tip of the slug, splaying the lead outwards like the fingers of an open hand or the petals of a blossoming flower. In this shape the leaded projectile would tear through nerve and tissue, ripping, cutting, slicing, leaving fragments of itself over an area the size of a tea-saucer. Hitting the head, such a bullet would not emerge, but would demolish everything inside the cranium, forcing the bone-shell to fragment.”
Can you feel the love for destruction?
Back in 1997 I went to see a movie called The Jackal. I had no clue that it was based on a book. It was just a Friday night entertainment. One highlight of the film is when the actor Jack Black, who I harbor some kind of odd animosity towards, is killed rather spectacularly. Well the character he plays, not the actual actor, but I could suspend belief for a few moments. Bruce Willis plays The Jackal. Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier are playing the characters trying to find him. The setting of the plot has been changed and the timing moved up from the 1950s to the 1990s, but they do actually use plot devices from the Frederick Forsyth book.
There is a 1973 movie that follows the book very closely. I have not seen it, but the reviews of that movie are very good. My intention is to watch it very soon.
Forsyth infused this novel with historical details that added more validity to the plot and added richness to the flow of the narrative. He also included the intricacies of political plotting and the difficulty, even with a small group, in keeping anything a secret. The ruthlessness and the zeal with which the assassin approaches what seems to be an impossible task was unnerving, chilling. The way in which the hands of the investigators are tied at many points by the unwillingness of de Gaulle to cooperate stretches the tension like an overstressed piano string. I was impressed that a 44 year old novel could still have me running through the streets of Paris, with an elevated pulse, hoping to thwart the aims of a diabolical killer.
September 20, 2014
The Day of the Jackal is a very remarkable and memorable thriller – while the other novels of this sort are usually forgotten too soon this book has stuck in my head for good. It is a real duel of masterminds –one staying on the side of crime and the other serving on the side of justice. Frederick Forsyth's meticulous and competent elaboration of the tiniest details made this novel unique.
February 21, 2023
The Day of the Jackal is a true classic in the thriller genre and is also one of those rare occasions when the movie made from the novel is almost as good as the book. Set in the early 1960s, it revolves around efforts to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle.
For nearly 130 years, the French had controlled Algeria as a colony. Resistance by the Algerians led to a war lasting seven years in which the French unsuccessfully attempted to maintain control. Finally, in March, 1962, the French government agreed to a treaty allowing the Algerians their independence. Many people in France were outraged by the decision and blamed de Gaulle for, in their view, betraying France. In particular, elements of the French army believed that de Gaulle had disgraced the memory of the French soldiers who had given their lives to the war effort. The novel takes place against that backdrop.
As the novel opens, several attempts to assassinate de Gaulle have failed. Leaders of the secret army organization (the OAS) that is behind the attempts are in hiding and running out of options. Their organization is riddled with informers and the French government is hunting them down. In a last ditch effort to kill de Gaulle they decide to recruit a professional assassin from outside their ranks to do the job. After a careful search they hire a man who will be known by the code name, "The Jackal." The plot and the Jackal's identity will be known only to three of the leaders of the group who will remain in hiding and under heavy guard until the Jackal completes his mission.
What follows is one of the great cat-and-mouse games in all of fiction. The reader watches as the Jackal makes his preparations and as the French government gradually becomes aware of the fact that some plot against the president has been set into motion. Leading the effort to identify the potential assassin and thwart the plot is a rumpled detective named Claude Lebel, and he and the Jackal will prove to be very worthy adversaries as they act and react to each other's moves.
The book begins a bit slowly as the stage is set, but it then takes off at a breakneck pace. The characters are very well drawn and the actions that they take seem totally plausible. This is not a fantasy like a James Bond novel, for example, but is very much grounded in reality from the beginning to a fantastic climax. Both the Jackal and Lebel are believable characters and while one is naturally supposed to root for the forces of law and order, you can't help but feel some sympathy for the Jackal as well; he is one of the most fascinating characters a reader will ever meet in a novel like this. Even though the book is now fifty years old, it's still as compelling as it was on the day it first appeared. A great read.
For nearly 130 years, the French had controlled Algeria as a colony. Resistance by the Algerians led to a war lasting seven years in which the French unsuccessfully attempted to maintain control. Finally, in March, 1962, the French government agreed to a treaty allowing the Algerians their independence. Many people in France were outraged by the decision and blamed de Gaulle for, in their view, betraying France. In particular, elements of the French army believed that de Gaulle had disgraced the memory of the French soldiers who had given their lives to the war effort. The novel takes place against that backdrop.
As the novel opens, several attempts to assassinate de Gaulle have failed. Leaders of the secret army organization (the OAS) that is behind the attempts are in hiding and running out of options. Their organization is riddled with informers and the French government is hunting them down. In a last ditch effort to kill de Gaulle they decide to recruit a professional assassin from outside their ranks to do the job. After a careful search they hire a man who will be known by the code name, "The Jackal." The plot and the Jackal's identity will be known only to three of the leaders of the group who will remain in hiding and under heavy guard until the Jackal completes his mission.
What follows is one of the great cat-and-mouse games in all of fiction. The reader watches as the Jackal makes his preparations and as the French government gradually becomes aware of the fact that some plot against the president has been set into motion. Leading the effort to identify the potential assassin and thwart the plot is a rumpled detective named Claude Lebel, and he and the Jackal will prove to be very worthy adversaries as they act and react to each other's moves.
The book begins a bit slowly as the stage is set, but it then takes off at a breakneck pace. The characters are very well drawn and the actions that they take seem totally plausible. This is not a fantasy like a James Bond novel, for example, but is very much grounded in reality from the beginning to a fantastic climax. Both the Jackal and Lebel are believable characters and while one is naturally supposed to root for the forces of law and order, you can't help but feel some sympathy for the Jackal as well; he is one of the most fascinating characters a reader will ever meet in a novel like this. Even though the book is now fifty years old, it's still as compelling as it was on the day it first appeared. A great read.
November 18, 2024
Oh lordie, this is gripping! I've never read Forsyth before and assumed this would be an airport thriller - but it's so well crafted that it exceeded all my expectations. Having not seen the film, I was pretty pleased to have guessed the date of the assassination attempt as well as spotting the clue to the hiding place of the rifle - though the final scenario is more artistic than I had imagined.
What really impressed me is the level of detail in the writing: from the tradecraft of the Jackal to the complicated politics of the manhunt, everything feels authentic and plausible. I'd like to think that as a BBC journalist, Forsyth knew enough people to have an insider's knowledge.
At heart this is a cat-and-mouse plot with France's best detective and an enigmatic, ruthless assassin each faced with his nemesis. We know the history but somehow that doesn't stop the tension ramping up right to the end.
For all the good stuff, we can't forget we're in the 1960s (the book was published in 1971) from the representation of women who are insistently sexualized and the unpleasant homophobia.
That aside, I found this an absolute page-turner, all the better for leaving the Jackal unknowable to the end.
What really impressed me is the level of detail in the writing: from the tradecraft of the Jackal to the complicated politics of the manhunt, everything feels authentic and plausible. I'd like to think that as a BBC journalist, Forsyth knew enough people to have an insider's knowledge.
At heart this is a cat-and-mouse plot with France's best detective and an enigmatic, ruthless assassin each faced with his nemesis. We know the history but somehow that doesn't stop the tension ramping up right to the end.
For all the good stuff, we can't forget we're in the 1960s (the book was published in 1971) from the representation of women who are insistently sexualized and the unpleasant homophobia.
That aside, I found this an absolute page-turner, all the better for leaving the Jackal unknowable to the end.
January 31, 2025
What carries on for most of the book as a rather meticulous and cerebral detective mystery, like something from Sherlock Holmes or Hercules Poirot, gathers into an explosion of action and suspense at the end. A modern classic.
March 6, 2016
The day of the jackal was over, and I was glad of that. Just because this old thriller was related to a favored genre of mine - the historical fiction - didn't mean I would like outdated thrillers with no idea that hasn't been milked by movies of various characteristics. But I learned one thing after reading this book, and that was that archaic books like this died intestate.
There were defining aspects in this hefty - not too much though - novel. There were new characters that kept making entry until the last pages. Also there was the fact that we know that The Jackal wasn't going to succeed. At the other end of the spectrum, there was another type of sitting duck of the species known as Dead Meat. Those who you knew were going to die did die. But as the novel progressed, it was more difficult to care for the victims. The only brilliant idea in the story was that the info that set the ball rolling was an error of identification. That threw this reader completely. In the end, though, it wasn't enough to justify reading the book in the first place.
There were defining aspects in this hefty - not too much though - novel. There were new characters that kept making entry until the last pages. Also there was the fact that we know that The Jackal wasn't going to succeed. At the other end of the spectrum, there was another type of sitting duck of the species known as Dead Meat. Those who you knew were going to die did die. But as the novel progressed, it was more difficult to care for the victims. The only brilliant idea in the story was that the info that set the ball rolling was an error of identification. That threw this reader completely. In the end, though, it wasn't enough to justify reading the book in the first place.
June 10, 2025
Rest in Peace, Frederick Forsyth. A wonderful author who was the best at what he did.
March 21, 2015
Still Amazing the Second Time Around - 5 Stars
In the past 16 years, with the exception of the Bible, I have never read a book twice. I enjoy the unknown and the mystery of the unravelling. When doing a Book Pal read, I decided to pick up a book that is in my Top 10 and to break my rule about never reading a book twice. What an excellent decision. Even the second time around, I was amazed by the excellent story and the author's ability to created suspense even when you know the eventual outcome. The author makes it clear from the outset that the book is about a failed assassination attempt. While this would generally spoil the story for me, this story was about the preparation, the chase and the excitement of the near miss. This is likely the reason it was still an amazing read the second time around. Whether it is your first time, second or fifteenth, fans of Thrillers, spy novels and political thrillers should pick up this classic volume.
Plot
I will not belabour the storyline. The story is that of an assassination plot on French President/General Charles De Gaulle. The uses up a significant number of pages to outline the history leading to the attempt and the tension and power struggle between the President and the OAS who were determined to oust De Gaulle and keep Algeria French. Admittedly, the opening is slow as it reads as a history. While the first chapter or two is dry, it provide the read with an excellent synopsis of the Algerian war, De Gaulle's rise, fall and second ascent to the presidency. After 6 failed attempts at assassination, the OAS hatches its best plan to date. Enter the Jackal. The top OAS leaders hire a foreign assassin to plan his own attack and assassination of the president. The story follows two major storylines. Firstly, the OAS leaders which eventually combines with that of the Jackal and his precise planning and attempt. Secondly, the story follows the French Detective who is tasked with the unenviable job of finding a killer with no evidence and clues. The result is an excited a detailed investigation/planning and one of the best international chases you will ever read.
My Take
This is widely accepted as one of the best spy/assassin thrillers of all time. Without a doubt, the author amazing eye for detail is a major reason for this. The reader does not miss a single step in the Jackal's planning. When he visits a forger to obtain fake papers, we get to see him return. We don't miss any steps. Additionally, we follow an equally detailed investigation into the identity and plan of the killer. It is truly an immersive experience.
While the actual details of the Jackal's true identity and his planning are not well known, the author does an amazing job of taking the facts and filling in the blanks with some educated guesses. The result is a completely believable and engaging story. The Jackal is one of my favourite characters in literature. There is little back story for the character but this results in an incredibly mysterious and dangerous character. Even when you think you know him, you quickly realize you don't.
Beyond the Jackal himself, the story of the investigation is equally amazing. The character of the French Detective is a small, unassuming and henpecked man but his looks belie his sharp intellect and tenacity. He is made to report daily to approximately 10 of the top men in the French government and to steer the largest manhunt in French history. The kicker is that there are quite literally no clues to go on. With a small bit of good fortune and some excellent instincts, he is able to track down an illusion. This is truly one of the most brilliant investigations I have read. Coupling this with the Jackal's story vaults this book into my top 10.
Any fan of Thrillers need to read this excellent novel. While this was written decades ago, the writing, content and story does not feel dated. This story remains exciting and entertaining, even in time of instant gratification. Even though you know the end at the beginning, it is the journey that is exciting. A highly recommended book!
In the past 16 years, with the exception of the Bible, I have never read a book twice. I enjoy the unknown and the mystery of the unravelling. When doing a Book Pal read, I decided to pick up a book that is in my Top 10 and to break my rule about never reading a book twice. What an excellent decision. Even the second time around, I was amazed by the excellent story and the author's ability to created suspense even when you know the eventual outcome. The author makes it clear from the outset that the book is about a failed assassination attempt. While this would generally spoil the story for me, this story was about the preparation, the chase and the excitement of the near miss. This is likely the reason it was still an amazing read the second time around. Whether it is your first time, second or fifteenth, fans of Thrillers, spy novels and political thrillers should pick up this classic volume.
Plot
I will not belabour the storyline. The story is that of an assassination plot on French President/General Charles De Gaulle. The uses up a significant number of pages to outline the history leading to the attempt and the tension and power struggle between the President and the OAS who were determined to oust De Gaulle and keep Algeria French. Admittedly, the opening is slow as it reads as a history. While the first chapter or two is dry, it provide the read with an excellent synopsis of the Algerian war, De Gaulle's rise, fall and second ascent to the presidency. After 6 failed attempts at assassination, the OAS hatches its best plan to date. Enter the Jackal. The top OAS leaders hire a foreign assassin to plan his own attack and assassination of the president. The story follows two major storylines. Firstly, the OAS leaders which eventually combines with that of the Jackal and his precise planning and attempt. Secondly, the story follows the French Detective who is tasked with the unenviable job of finding a killer with no evidence and clues. The result is an excited a detailed investigation/planning and one of the best international chases you will ever read.
My Take
This is widely accepted as one of the best spy/assassin thrillers of all time. Without a doubt, the author amazing eye for detail is a major reason for this. The reader does not miss a single step in the Jackal's planning. When he visits a forger to obtain fake papers, we get to see him return. We don't miss any steps. Additionally, we follow an equally detailed investigation into the identity and plan of the killer. It is truly an immersive experience.
While the actual details of the Jackal's true identity and his planning are not well known, the author does an amazing job of taking the facts and filling in the blanks with some educated guesses. The result is a completely believable and engaging story. The Jackal is one of my favourite characters in literature. There is little back story for the character but this results in an incredibly mysterious and dangerous character. Even when you think you know him, you quickly realize you don't.
Beyond the Jackal himself, the story of the investigation is equally amazing. The character of the French Detective is a small, unassuming and henpecked man but his looks belie his sharp intellect and tenacity. He is made to report daily to approximately 10 of the top men in the French government and to steer the largest manhunt in French history. The kicker is that there are quite literally no clues to go on. With a small bit of good fortune and some excellent instincts, he is able to track down an illusion. This is truly one of the most brilliant investigations I have read. Coupling this with the Jackal's story vaults this book into my top 10.
Any fan of Thrillers need to read this excellent novel. While this was written decades ago, the writing, content and story does not feel dated. This story remains exciting and entertaining, even in time of instant gratification. Even though you know the end at the beginning, it is the journey that is exciting. A highly recommended book!
March 24, 2017
One of the things that I like about Goodreads is that it's more than just a bunch of book reviews. It's a location where book-lovers can exchange stories, discuss books, buy and sell books and simply go on and on about their favorite (and not so favorite) books. So please indulge me as I provide a longish backstory before actually getting into my review because that is part of the fun. To begin with please look at my bookshelves. You'll notice that one of them is labeled "seventies-classics". I was a child in the seventies (born in 1968) and both of my parents were (are for they are both still alive) readers. Mom liked classic dense novels, works about human behavior (Carl Jung et al) and the occasional "serious" work about the supernatural (Edgar Cayce,Dorothy Jane Roberts and so on). She encouraged my love of history and started my modest collection of historical works - many of which I still own. Thanks mom.
Now dad provided the "men's action novel" section of my parent's library. My parents compliment each other. Mom is the intellectual with a couple different university diplomas. Dad is the Vietnam veteran and career police officer. He is an intelligent man, but a down-to earth man who enjoys reading espionage/action novels and Louis L'Amour westerns. As a boy I was drawn to dad's reading selections and one of my clearest memories are the hardback copies of Frederick Forsyth's first three novels on the shelves: The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War. Dad was a huge fan and even got mom to read the first two. My mother, the intellectual, found them to be "better than average genre novels" (mom sometimes slips). I read The Odessa File when I was ten years old. At the time it took some effort, but I finished it and enjoyed it tremendously. The Dogs of War followed a few years later. However I then followed with The Fourth Protocol and The Devil's Alternative ,a couple years afterwards, and I was disappointed. Forsyth's later novels are competent, but they lack the Cinema Verite (no I don't care if I'm using that term loosely) of his first three novels which was the very thing that I liked. As a result I moved on to Tom Clancy's more muscular works and the twentieth century rolled into the twenty-first.
A couple weeks ago my wife brought home a Franklin Library leather-bound edition of The Day of the Jackal which she found at the local Deseret Industries store (if you live where there are large numbers of Mormons you are familiar with "DI". Terrific secondhand store chain offering a great selection of used books among other things). It's such a pretty edition with leather cover, high quality paper, sewn-in bookmarker, silk moiré end pages and gilt edging. The best part is that my wife picked it up for only two dollars (United States)! On Ebay the leather bound editions sell for at least thirty dollars a piece so way to go honey. As I admired the high quality book I realized that I had never read Forsyth's debut novel. I had seen Fred Zinnemann's 1973 movie of course , but never read the novel. An oversight that I knew I would have to correct. I dare anyone who is a book lover to toss a high-end printing to the side without reading it - for the sheer sensual pleasure if nothing else. It's the equivalent of a classic car lover leaving a 1963 Jaguar XK-E Roadster in the garage and not driving it around the neighborhood on summer weekends......simply inconceivable!
So now that I have gone on and on without providing an actual review you're probably wondering what did I think about Mr. Forsyth's classic? Well I think it's a cracking good suspense novel. It is a forty-five year old novel so the technology and some of the techniques are dated. However that's all right because the novel is set in 1963 which moves it into the realm of historical fiction/secret history. The plot itself is not a complicated one. A professional assassin is hired by the OAS(OAS — or Organisation armée secrète, lit. "Organisation of the Secret Army" or "Secret Armed Organisation") to kill French President General Charles de Gaulle. The French learn of the plot and the race is on to stop the killer before he stops President de Gaulle . In 1963 the French government,and all of it's military and police branches, did not have computers, cell phones, satellite surveillance, DNA, thermal scanners, unmanned aerial drones or any of the other tools that are now used in the never-ending struggle against terrorists. The French authorities are also hampered by the President refusing to go into hiding as well as refusing to allow the news to be made public - which was so typical of that obstinate man. What they do have in their favor is manpower, organization and the French bureaucracy (yes you heard that right - red tape and endless paperwork makes a valuable contribution) on their side. The Jackal ,however, is a very smart man who is careful ,meticulous, motivated and lucky. The result is a race to the finish and I found it to be a very effective race even though we all know that de Gaulle died seven years later in 1970. This means that one starts the novel knowing that the plot is a failure, but it still pulls one into the story. That's an impressive piece of writing if you ask me.
Day of the Jackal is an archetype of the modern "techno-thriller". Meticulously researched in which the characters function in our reality with all the drawbacks. Mistakes are made, people stumble and sometimes things move with an agonizing slowness. A former journalist Forsyth brought his skills to a novel, but he treated it like it was a research piece for a monthly news journal or a series in the London Times . The result is that documentary "Cinema Verite " that I mentioned earlier. Other writers (Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, Jack Higgins etc.) have since pumped up the genre that Forsyth is one of the founders of and in many respects the genre has moved into James Bond territory only with lots of technical details. Younger readers will probably find Day of the Jackal to be dull with not enough action. The story is the action as it moves inexorably closer to the assassination attempt, but for the younger readers there is a definite lack of car chases, gunfights, thrilling escapes and an explosive climax. If one is curious as to how the story could be amped up see the 1997 movie version "The Jackal" with Bruce Willis and Sidney Poitier. Actually I like that version as well, but in terms of what it is and not what it isn't. I try not to get excited about movies straying from the source material.
There are weaknesses, but that is true of everything in this world. Forsyth is an excellent researcher and excels at establishing a very realistic and detailed setting in which his characters move through. However he isn't as strong when it comes the characters themselves. Forsyth will describe his characters with a few sentences and then moves on. Essentially his characters are cardboard cutouts with out the psychological depth that readers have come to expect in 2016. Actually ,in fairness to the older generation, many novelists were doing that back in 1971 as well, but remember that Forsyth was a journalist. Journalists don't spend much time writing about the psychology of a politician (usually). A few sentences about a president's background and then it's onto the meat of the story. Personally I didn't find the story hurt by the rather sparse character development. It's a suspense novel about a manhunt and not an in-depth character study.
Well here I am with my concluding paragraph. What to write that hasn't already been written? I'm going to opt with the simple approach. It's a good novel. Give it a try.
Now dad provided the "men's action novel" section of my parent's library. My parents compliment each other. Mom is the intellectual with a couple different university diplomas. Dad is the Vietnam veteran and career police officer. He is an intelligent man, but a down-to earth man who enjoys reading espionage/action novels and Louis L'Amour westerns. As a boy I was drawn to dad's reading selections and one of my clearest memories are the hardback copies of Frederick Forsyth's first three novels on the shelves: The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War. Dad was a huge fan and even got mom to read the first two. My mother, the intellectual, found them to be "better than average genre novels" (mom sometimes slips). I read The Odessa File when I was ten years old. At the time it took some effort, but I finished it and enjoyed it tremendously. The Dogs of War followed a few years later. However I then followed with The Fourth Protocol and The Devil's Alternative ,a couple years afterwards, and I was disappointed. Forsyth's later novels are competent, but they lack the Cinema Verite (no I don't care if I'm using that term loosely) of his first three novels which was the very thing that I liked. As a result I moved on to Tom Clancy's more muscular works and the twentieth century rolled into the twenty-first.
A couple weeks ago my wife brought home a Franklin Library leather-bound edition of The Day of the Jackal which she found at the local Deseret Industries store (if you live where there are large numbers of Mormons you are familiar with "DI". Terrific secondhand store chain offering a great selection of used books among other things). It's such a pretty edition with leather cover, high quality paper, sewn-in bookmarker, silk moiré end pages and gilt edging. The best part is that my wife picked it up for only two dollars (United States)! On Ebay the leather bound editions sell for at least thirty dollars a piece so way to go honey. As I admired the high quality book I realized that I had never read Forsyth's debut novel. I had seen Fred Zinnemann's 1973 movie of course , but never read the novel. An oversight that I knew I would have to correct. I dare anyone who is a book lover to toss a high-end printing to the side without reading it - for the sheer sensual pleasure if nothing else. It's the equivalent of a classic car lover leaving a 1963 Jaguar XK-E Roadster in the garage and not driving it around the neighborhood on summer weekends......simply inconceivable!
So now that I have gone on and on without providing an actual review you're probably wondering what did I think about Mr. Forsyth's classic? Well I think it's a cracking good suspense novel. It is a forty-five year old novel so the technology and some of the techniques are dated. However that's all right because the novel is set in 1963 which moves it into the realm of historical fiction/secret history. The plot itself is not a complicated one. A professional assassin is hired by the OAS(OAS — or Organisation armée secrète, lit. "Organisation of the Secret Army" or "Secret Armed Organisation") to kill French President General Charles de Gaulle. The French learn of the plot and the race is on to stop the killer before he stops President de Gaulle . In 1963 the French government,and all of it's military and police branches, did not have computers, cell phones, satellite surveillance, DNA, thermal scanners, unmanned aerial drones or any of the other tools that are now used in the never-ending struggle against terrorists. The French authorities are also hampered by the President refusing to go into hiding as well as refusing to allow the news to be made public - which was so typical of that obstinate man. What they do have in their favor is manpower, organization and the French bureaucracy (yes you heard that right - red tape and endless paperwork makes a valuable contribution) on their side. The Jackal ,however, is a very smart man who is careful ,meticulous, motivated and lucky. The result is a race to the finish and I found it to be a very effective race even though we all know that de Gaulle died seven years later in 1970. This means that one starts the novel knowing that the plot is a failure, but it still pulls one into the story. That's an impressive piece of writing if you ask me.
Day of the Jackal is an archetype of the modern "techno-thriller". Meticulously researched in which the characters function in our reality with all the drawbacks. Mistakes are made, people stumble and sometimes things move with an agonizing slowness. A former journalist Forsyth brought his skills to a novel, but he treated it like it was a research piece for a monthly news journal or a series in the London Times . The result is that documentary "Cinema Verite " that I mentioned earlier. Other writers (Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, Jack Higgins etc.) have since pumped up the genre that Forsyth is one of the founders of and in many respects the genre has moved into James Bond territory only with lots of technical details. Younger readers will probably find Day of the Jackal to be dull with not enough action. The story is the action as it moves inexorably closer to the assassination attempt, but for the younger readers there is a definite lack of car chases, gunfights, thrilling escapes and an explosive climax. If one is curious as to how the story could be amped up see the 1997 movie version "The Jackal" with Bruce Willis and Sidney Poitier. Actually I like that version as well, but in terms of what it is and not what it isn't. I try not to get excited about movies straying from the source material.
There are weaknesses, but that is true of everything in this world. Forsyth is an excellent researcher and excels at establishing a very realistic and detailed setting in which his characters move through. However he isn't as strong when it comes the characters themselves. Forsyth will describe his characters with a few sentences and then moves on. Essentially his characters are cardboard cutouts with out the psychological depth that readers have come to expect in 2016. Actually ,in fairness to the older generation, many novelists were doing that back in 1971 as well, but remember that Forsyth was a journalist. Journalists don't spend much time writing about the psychology of a politician (usually). A few sentences about a president's background and then it's onto the meat of the story. Personally I didn't find the story hurt by the rather sparse character development. It's a suspense novel about a manhunt and not an in-depth character study.
Well here I am with my concluding paragraph. What to write that hasn't already been written? I'm going to opt with the simple approach. It's a good novel. Give it a try.
December 23, 2022
"A joke in bad taste". ---Charles DeGaulle, dismissing one of the dozens of assassination attempts against his life. Here's a spoiler that is no spoiler at all: The object of the assassination attempt in this novel, French President Charles DeGaulle, does not die at the end. How then, does Frederick Forsyth, in his first and finest novel, maintain our suspense? By keeping the focus on the assassin, an English professional hitman, codename "The Jackal". The year is 1962. French Army officers want to pay back DeGaulle for granting independence to Algeria and then mount a coup. Using a French killer is too risky; he would already be known to the police. A foreigner with a clean record must be brought in to stalk and bag monsieur le president. His price? One million dollars. "After all, I'm giving you France in return". While the Englishman trains for the kill in Italy the conspirators plant a mole inside DeGaulle's cabinet: the beautiful sister of a French soldier killed in Algeria shares a bed with an important minister who knows the President's daily schedule. Once the French police capture a courier for the conspirators he spits out under torture the word "Jackal" (chacal) and that one clue is enough to set off a nationwide manhunt headed by Columbo-style "he's so brilliant he seems dumb" detective. This novel sold millions on its first printing and is still remarkably gripping today. Alas, in his later novel Forsyth's far-right politics drowns out the adventure.
December 11, 2024
Păcat că nu pot da mai mult. O partidă de șah mortală între doi strategi cu sânge rece și profesioniști. Mi-a plăcut întâlnirea dintre cei doi, nici nu mi-o puteam imagina altfel între doi adversari care se respectă ca strategi. O banalitate determină câștigătorul.
P.S. Pentru fani cărți recomand serialul cu același nume care va fi difuzat de Sky, este varianta modernă inspirată de roman.
P.S. Pentru fani cărți recomand serialul cu același nume care va fi difuzat de Sky, este varianta modernă inspirată de roman.
December 10, 2020
I'm not too versed with spy/espionage novels but I expected something more interesting.
The beginning was a sheer cliff of a learning curve. So, so many details, dates and people. I reread it 3 times before giving up and hoping that I'd catch on eventually. (I did catch on, I think...there still may be one or two things that just never caught).
This was entirely too much page space given to one day. Yes there are flashbacks but still... cut about half and this would've really gripped me. As is, I had to slog through so much background and jargon and irrelevant bits that when I finally got to something interesting, I was ecstatic.
Hopefully other espionage novels aren't like this one, otherwise I'm out of a genera
Audiobook Comments
Simon Prebble read this one and...honestly, it sounded super boring. Dull, dry and monotone.
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The beginning was a sheer cliff of a learning curve. So, so many details, dates and people. I reread it 3 times before giving up and hoping that I'd catch on eventually. (I did catch on, I think...there still may be one or two things that just never caught).
This was entirely too much page space given to one day. Yes there are flashbacks but still... cut about half and this would've really gripped me. As is, I had to slog through so much background and jargon and irrelevant bits that when I finally got to something interesting, I was ecstatic.
Hopefully other espionage novels aren't like this one, otherwise I'm out of a genera
Audiobook Comments
Simon Prebble read this one and...honestly, it sounded super boring. Dull, dry and monotone.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
January 23, 2022
The OAS, an extreme right wing organization, decides that the best way to rid France of President Charles De Gaulle is to hire a professional assassin. The group hires a tall blonde Englishman who as everyone knows became known as the jackal. I imagine everyone knows the story well and, like me, almost everyone has probably seen the movie. Having seen the movie, however, didn’t spoil the book, which is a precise and detailed story of the developing build up to the assignation event. I really enjoyed it, especially the lengths the jackal went to attempting to ensure success. A fascinating read.
July 22, 2025
[7/10]
Of faith and hope, belief and confidence, there was nothing left. Just hate. Hate for the system, for the politicians, for the intellectuals, for the Algerians, for the trade unions, for the journalists, for the foreigners; but most of all hate for That Man.
I have chosen this particular passage to start my review because I find it disturbingly still relevant in the world of today. I am seeing all around me Hatred in the ascendancy and Reason getting thrown in the dustbin, as more and more people become radicalized and some even believe they can resolve their fears of the future by indiscriminate killing, sometimes of innocents, other times of the people they believe are in charge or are opposed to their twisted worldview.
Frederick Forsyth started his career as a war correspondent in Africa. He saw more than his fair share of horrors there, but when he came back and wrote a non-fiction account of the civil war in Biafra it went largely unnoticed. So he decided to put his experience there and that in France as an investigative journalist to better use writing non-fiction. The result is "The Day of the Jackal", which became so successful it almost created a thriller sub-genre of its own.
Combining amazingly detailed technical information with elaborate political analysis and informed police procedural techniques, Forsyth deserves in my opinion all the praise he received for this three part "anatomy" of a plot to assassinate the French president, Charles de Gaulle, by a group of disgruntled former army officers, enraged by his negotiations to bring the 'dirty' Algerian war to an end.
Yet, personally, the book was fairly disappointing to me. Of course, I admire the execution, the documentary style of narration and the carefully dosage of tension as the events unfold. But I failed to get emotionally involved with any of the characters, probably due to the same impersonal, cold, factual delivery of facts. And I found the accumulation of coincidences and lucky breaks toward the final days of the chase to be problematic towards sustaining my suspension of disbelief. That's the main issue I think with this type of extremely detailed thrillers: they open themselves to a much more careful examination of plot holes and literary devices than a novel that relies on emotion and temperamental bursts of action. The more careful you lay down the rules, the more they are open to interpretation.
In his defence, the author is well aware of this 'deus ex machina' conundrum and my favorite passage in the text is a quote by the French inspector Lebel:
The human element, always the human element. A taxi-driver goes to sleep by the roadside, a gardener is too nervous to investigate his employer oversleeping by six hours, a policeman doesn't remember a name in a passport. One thing I can tell you, Lucien this is my last case. I'm getting too old. Old and slow. Get my car ready, would you. Time for the evening roasting.
Recommended! It's a really fast read despite its size, and I believe it's better to try the original mold, before searching for its numerous copycats / imitators.
Of faith and hope, belief and confidence, there was nothing left. Just hate. Hate for the system, for the politicians, for the intellectuals, for the Algerians, for the trade unions, for the journalists, for the foreigners; but most of all hate for That Man.
I have chosen this particular passage to start my review because I find it disturbingly still relevant in the world of today. I am seeing all around me Hatred in the ascendancy and Reason getting thrown in the dustbin, as more and more people become radicalized and some even believe they can resolve their fears of the future by indiscriminate killing, sometimes of innocents, other times of the people they believe are in charge or are opposed to their twisted worldview.
Frederick Forsyth started his career as a war correspondent in Africa. He saw more than his fair share of horrors there, but when he came back and wrote a non-fiction account of the civil war in Biafra it went largely unnoticed. So he decided to put his experience there and that in France as an investigative journalist to better use writing non-fiction. The result is "The Day of the Jackal", which became so successful it almost created a thriller sub-genre of its own.
Combining amazingly detailed technical information with elaborate political analysis and informed police procedural techniques, Forsyth deserves in my opinion all the praise he received for this three part "anatomy" of a plot to assassinate the French president, Charles de Gaulle, by a group of disgruntled former army officers, enraged by his negotiations to bring the 'dirty' Algerian war to an end.
Yet, personally, the book was fairly disappointing to me. Of course, I admire the execution, the documentary style of narration and the carefully dosage of tension as the events unfold. But I failed to get emotionally involved with any of the characters, probably due to the same impersonal, cold, factual delivery of facts. And I found the accumulation of coincidences and lucky breaks toward the final days of the chase to be problematic towards sustaining my suspension of disbelief. That's the main issue I think with this type of extremely detailed thrillers: they open themselves to a much more careful examination of plot holes and literary devices than a novel that relies on emotion and temperamental bursts of action. The more careful you lay down the rules, the more they are open to interpretation.
In his defence, the author is well aware of this 'deus ex machina' conundrum and my favorite passage in the text is a quote by the French inspector Lebel:
The human element, always the human element. A taxi-driver goes to sleep by the roadside, a gardener is too nervous to investigate his employer oversleeping by six hours, a policeman doesn't remember a name in a passport. One thing I can tell you, Lucien this is my last case. I'm getting too old. Old and slow. Get my car ready, would you. Time for the evening roasting.
Recommended! It's a really fast read despite its size, and I believe it's better to try the original mold, before searching for its numerous copycats / imitators.
August 22, 2020
Re-reading The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth's 1972 Edgar winner for Best Novel, was perhaps even more satisfying than reading it for the first time (can it really have been 36 years ago?) I would never quibble with the committee's choice on this one.
As most people probably know, the book deals with a plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, President of France, by a group opposed to his policies on Algeria. Not only does the reasonably well-informed reader know that, historically, de Gaulle was not assassinated, but Forsyth actually makes a point of telling us this early in the book. So, in a most important sense, we know from the outset how the book ends. And yet, it is one of the best examples I've read of page-turning, heart-stopping, breath-holding suspense writing.
Using the third-person omniscient form, Forsyth takes us into the minds and actions of the plotters, the police, and the Jackal himself. As the Jackal's preparations are being made, the French policeman, Lebel, is making his own preparations to foil the hired assassin. The police (including a number of quasi-police agencies with few qualms about methods) are well aware of the plot to assassinate de Gaulle -- several unsuccessful attempts have been made -- and they quickly surmise that the plotters have a hired killer. But finding the Jackal is not so easy, and he always seems to be one step ahead of them until the last shattering moment.
One thing that struck me in this reading of The Day of the Jackal was that, while one part of my brain was firmly on the side of Lebel and his need to stop the assassin, another part of me was admiring the Jackal's ingenuity and cool head, and almost wanted him to "win." And all this with no attempts made by the author to excuse or rationalize the Jackal's career choice -- in fact we are told very little about the Jackal's past beyond one brief reference to his having grown up poor. Forsyth puts the reader in the very unusual position of watching two consummate professionals doing their jobs in opposition to each other; even though we know which is the "good" or "right" side, our inward groans at a setback for the Jackal are as heartfelt as those for Lebel, at least until the last few chapters.
If you are too young to have read this book when it first came out, or even if you did read it then, do yourself a favor and read or re-read it.
As most people probably know, the book deals with a plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, President of France, by a group opposed to his policies on Algeria. Not only does the reasonably well-informed reader know that, historically, de Gaulle was not assassinated, but Forsyth actually makes a point of telling us this early in the book. So, in a most important sense, we know from the outset how the book ends. And yet, it is one of the best examples I've read of page-turning, heart-stopping, breath-holding suspense writing.
Using the third-person omniscient form, Forsyth takes us into the minds and actions of the plotters, the police, and the Jackal himself. As the Jackal's preparations are being made, the French policeman, Lebel, is making his own preparations to foil the hired assassin. The police (including a number of quasi-police agencies with few qualms about methods) are well aware of the plot to assassinate de Gaulle -- several unsuccessful attempts have been made -- and they quickly surmise that the plotters have a hired killer. But finding the Jackal is not so easy, and he always seems to be one step ahead of them until the last shattering moment.
One thing that struck me in this reading of The Day of the Jackal was that, while one part of my brain was firmly on the side of Lebel and his need to stop the assassin, another part of me was admiring the Jackal's ingenuity and cool head, and almost wanted him to "win." And all this with no attempts made by the author to excuse or rationalize the Jackal's career choice -- in fact we are told very little about the Jackal's past beyond one brief reference to his having grown up poor. Forsyth puts the reader in the very unusual position of watching two consummate professionals doing their jobs in opposition to each other; even though we know which is the "good" or "right" side, our inward groans at a setback for the Jackal are as heartfelt as those for Lebel, at least until the last few chapters.
If you are too young to have read this book when it first came out, or even if you did read it then, do yourself a favor and read or re-read it.
March 2, 2019
Just finished my 2nd (or 3rd?) reading of a favorite book I've had in my collection for years. It's still taut, suspenseful, and chilling!
Like a lot of readers, I enjoyed the movie so much I bought the book at a time when you actually had to go to bookstores and place an order. Online purchases were a thing of the future at that time. I found a first-edition hardcover copy in a used bookstore or thrift store (can't remember).
In 1962 a score of irritated French paratroopers have formed an organization called the O.A.S. (Secret Army Organization). Feeling betrayed by Prime Minister De Gaulle for giving Algeria its independence, they have sworn to kill him. After repeated failed attempts, the group goes in hiding and conjures up the only plan with any chance of success..... They must hire an outsider to assassinate the Prime Minister.... They must hire a contract killer with no connection to the OAS. Only in this way will the killer be able to move freely without French authorities being aware of him.
The man they hire is an Englishman who happens to be an incredible shot with a score of kills on his resume. His price for this job of a lifetime is $500,000. When he has half deposited in his Swiss bank account he'll move. But his employers will not be aware of his plans, nor will they be aware of when he'll move forward. Secrecy is the best weapon they have, not forgetting his ability to hit his mark.
By pure chance and coincidence the French authorities learn of the OAS plan and assign their best detective to go to work and learn who this killer is, how he plans to kill their PM, and when. It's a difficult task and all the detective has to go on is the killer's codename: JACKAL!
The movie closely follows the book, which is good, only in greater details that a movie can't do. It's well-paced and thought out. It'suspenseful and leaves you curious about whether something like this actually happened. The Jackal is ruthless, cunning, and stealthily stalks his target, leaving a few dead along the way to cover his tracks.
The author did good research and readers will be taken to a dark world as they learn what it takes to search for and hire a contract killer. When the assassin accepts the contract, he returns home and casually gathers necessary things like clothes, suitcase and passports. Then he calmly cleans out his refrigerator of all perishables considering he'll be gone for some time (I thought that was a good touch of reality). When his OAS (Secret Army Organization) inquires about trusting him to do the job versus taking off with his $500,000 price tag, the Jackal, ever the business-minded fellow, calmly explains how it would cost him too much money to go into hiding from their organization if he did that (paying for protection from French commandos looking to collect their money).
This is a timeless book despite having been written in the early 70s. It's one I'm glad to maintain in my private collection.
Like a lot of readers, I enjoyed the movie so much I bought the book at a time when you actually had to go to bookstores and place an order. Online purchases were a thing of the future at that time. I found a first-edition hardcover copy in a used bookstore or thrift store (can't remember).
In 1962 a score of irritated French paratroopers have formed an organization called the O.A.S. (Secret Army Organization). Feeling betrayed by Prime Minister De Gaulle for giving Algeria its independence, they have sworn to kill him. After repeated failed attempts, the group goes in hiding and conjures up the only plan with any chance of success..... They must hire an outsider to assassinate the Prime Minister.... They must hire a contract killer with no connection to the OAS. Only in this way will the killer be able to move freely without French authorities being aware of him.
The man they hire is an Englishman who happens to be an incredible shot with a score of kills on his resume. His price for this job of a lifetime is $500,000. When he has half deposited in his Swiss bank account he'll move. But his employers will not be aware of his plans, nor will they be aware of when he'll move forward. Secrecy is the best weapon they have, not forgetting his ability to hit his mark.
By pure chance and coincidence the French authorities learn of the OAS plan and assign their best detective to go to work and learn who this killer is, how he plans to kill their PM, and when. It's a difficult task and all the detective has to go on is the killer's codename: JACKAL!
The movie closely follows the book, which is good, only in greater details that a movie can't do. It's well-paced and thought out. It'suspenseful and leaves you curious about whether something like this actually happened. The Jackal is ruthless, cunning, and stealthily stalks his target, leaving a few dead along the way to cover his tracks.
The author did good research and readers will be taken to a dark world as they learn what it takes to search for and hire a contract killer. When the assassin accepts the contract, he returns home and casually gathers necessary things like clothes, suitcase and passports. Then he calmly cleans out his refrigerator of all perishables considering he'll be gone for some time (I thought that was a good touch of reality). When his OAS (Secret Army Organization) inquires about trusting him to do the job versus taking off with his $500,000 price tag, the Jackal, ever the business-minded fellow, calmly explains how it would cost him too much money to go into hiding from their organization if he did that (paying for protection from French commandos looking to collect their money).
This is a timeless book despite having been written in the early 70s. It's one I'm glad to maintain in my private collection.
June 5, 2017
دوستانِ گرانقدر، این کتاب از 21 فصل و 507 صفحه تشکیل شده است و از آن دسته از داستانهای هیجانی و جنایی میباشد و موضوع آن در رابطه با ترورِ <شارل دوگول> رئیس جمهور نامدار فرانسه میباشد
داستان از سالِ 1962 و اعدامِ یکی از مخالفینی که قصد ترورِ رئیس جمهور فرانسه <شارل دوگول> را داشته است، آغاز میشود
سپس نویسنده از چگونگی و دلایلِ یکی از ترورها پرده بر میدارد.. سرهنگ دوم نیرو هوایی <ژان ماری باستین تایری>، قصدِ ترورِ <ژنرال دوگول> را داشت و دلیلش این بود که وی با استردادِ الجزایر به ملی گرایانِ الجزایری، به فرانسه و مردمی که در سال 1958 دوباره او را به قدرت رسانده بودند، خیانت کرده است... البته ترور ناموفق بود و با اشتباهی عجیب در محاسبهٔ تاریک شدنِ هوا، به سرانجام نرسید و <دوگول> نجات پیدا کرد
پس ازمدتی سرباز بیست و دوساله ای که در بین گروه سری و ترور آن روز قرار داشت، با نامِ <پیردنیس ماگاد> به صورت اتفاقی دستگیر شد و از 22 نفر از ارتشیانی که در ترور شرکت داشتند، نام برد و همه را لو داد و تنها یک نفر موفق به فرار شد که آنهم <جورج واتن> نام داشت که گویی به الجزایر گریخته بود
داستان از آنجایی هیجان انگیز میشود که سه تن از گروه اصلی و سازمان مخالف <دوگول>، برای ترور <دوگول> تصمیم به استخدام تروریست و قاتلی حرفه ای به نام <شغال> میگیرند که تصور میکنند وی انگلیسی است
از آنجایی که <شغال> درخواست نیم میلیون دلار کرده بود و این پول بسیار زیاد بود، لذا ارتش سری و مخالفان دوگول، برای فراهم کردن این دستمزد، تصمیم میگیرند تا به بانک ها و مراکز مالی دستبرد بزنند
داستان در دو فصل پایانی، به اوج هیجان خود میرسد و نقشه های زیرکانهٔ <شغال> خواننده را به وجد می آورد
عزیزانم، بهتر است خودتان این داستان را بخوانید و از سرانجامِ آن آگاه شوید
--------------------------------------------
امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ شناختِ این کتاب، کافی و مفید بوده باشه
<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>
داستان از سالِ 1962 و اعدامِ یکی از مخالفینی که قصد ترورِ رئیس جمهور فرانسه <شارل دوگول> را داشته است، آغاز میشود
سپس نویسنده از چگونگی و دلایلِ یکی از ترورها پرده بر میدارد.. سرهنگ دوم نیرو هوایی <ژان ماری باستین تایری>، قصدِ ترورِ <ژنرال دوگول> را داشت و دلیلش این بود که وی با استردادِ الجزایر به ملی گرایانِ الجزایری، به فرانسه و مردمی که در سال 1958 دوباره او را به قدرت رسانده بودند، خیانت کرده است... البته ترور ناموفق بود و با اشتباهی عجیب در محاسبهٔ تاریک شدنِ هوا، به سرانجام نرسید و <دوگول> نجات پیدا کرد
پس ازمدتی سرباز بیست و دوساله ای که در بین گروه سری و ترور آن روز قرار داشت، با نامِ <پیردنیس ماگاد> به صورت اتفاقی دستگیر شد و از 22 نفر از ارتشیانی که در ترور شرکت داشتند، نام برد و همه را لو داد و تنها یک نفر موفق به فرار شد که آنهم <جورج واتن> نام داشت که گویی به الجزایر گریخته بود
داستان از آنجایی هیجان انگیز میشود که سه تن از گروه اصلی و سازمان مخالف <دوگول>، برای ترور <دوگول> تصمیم به استخدام تروریست و قاتلی حرفه ای به نام <شغال> میگیرند که تصور میکنند وی انگلیسی است
از آنجایی که <شغال> درخواست نیم میلیون دلار کرده بود و این پول بسیار زیاد بود، لذا ارتش سری و مخالفان دوگول، برای فراهم کردن این دستمزد، تصمیم میگیرند تا به بانک ها و مراکز مالی دستبرد بزنند
داستان در دو فصل پایانی، به اوج هیجان خود میرسد و نقشه های زیرکانهٔ <شغال> خواننده را به وجد می آورد
عزیزانم، بهتر است خودتان این داستان را بخوانید و از سرانجامِ آن آگاه شوید
--------------------------------------------
امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ شناختِ این کتاب، کافی و مفید بوده باشه
<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>
March 2, 2015
This book is one of the best books in its genre. Haven't found a book which can be at par with The Day of the Jackal.
June 10, 2017
This is, without question, the best thriller I have ever read.
Forsyth builds the narrative slowly and expertly, then crescendos to a satisfying finale.
There are so many things to like about this book, it's hard to know where to begin. First of all, the premise is extraordinary, yet extremely realistic. A group of disaffected former military officers fail repeatedly to kill the president of France, so they hire a professional. Everything from the descriptions of the characters, the offices they work in, and the half page of backstory that everyone gets are spot on and believable. It's as though Forsyth investigated the events as they occurred and wrote them down from memory.
I was maybe most impressed at how well rounded his characters are. All of them. Literally everyone from the French president to the toughs that protect the insurgent headquarters has a story. Each story is told in such a way as to build the plot and theme. Beautifully done.
The way Forsyth uses time is fun as well. Though he's been copied quite a bit since, every hour and day leading up to the assassination are clearly delineated, adding a "ticking clock" sense of anticipation for the whole thing.
Forsyth's use of language and description is smart as well.
My one complaint is his over-specificity. At points, telling me exactly what street and apartment the character is looking at adds to the richness of the text, but when driving through France, naming every intersection and borough we pass becomes tedious.
I guess I'm most happy with the fact that in spite of the modern tendency for thrillers to scrape along the bottom of half-planned plots, cliched characters, and dull description, there are some writers who still take their craft seriously. Forsyth delivers the goods.
http://joshuarigsby.com
Forsyth builds the narrative slowly and expertly, then crescendos to a satisfying finale.
There are so many things to like about this book, it's hard to know where to begin. First of all, the premise is extraordinary, yet extremely realistic. A group of disaffected former military officers fail repeatedly to kill the president of France, so they hire a professional. Everything from the descriptions of the characters, the offices they work in, and the half page of backstory that everyone gets are spot on and believable. It's as though Forsyth investigated the events as they occurred and wrote them down from memory.
I was maybe most impressed at how well rounded his characters are. All of them. Literally everyone from the French president to the toughs that protect the insurgent headquarters has a story. Each story is told in such a way as to build the plot and theme. Beautifully done.
The way Forsyth uses time is fun as well. Though he's been copied quite a bit since, every hour and day leading up to the assassination are clearly delineated, adding a "ticking clock" sense of anticipation for the whole thing.
Forsyth's use of language and description is smart as well.
My one complaint is his over-specificity. At points, telling me exactly what street and apartment the character is looking at adds to the richness of the text, but when driving through France, naming every intersection and borough we pass becomes tedious.
I guess I'm most happy with the fact that in spite of the modern tendency for thrillers to scrape along the bottom of half-planned plots, cliched characters, and dull description, there are some writers who still take their craft seriously. Forsyth delivers the goods.
http://joshuarigsby.com
August 30, 2015
This swept through our lives like a simulacrum of the fire of London. Everyone was reading and loving this story that took just over a week to write.It was the first time there was a generic book buzz in my life and I became hooked on that buzz :Right.There:And:Then:
Wasn't so long after that Forsyth did it all again to our utter, utter amazement. A moment in time and book-love was created.
30.08.2015: Frederick Forsyth reveals MI6 spying past
November 9, 2020
'The Jackal' had Charles De Gaulle in his sight on Rue de Rennes.
“Half a million dollars is the price,” says the blonde Englishman being hired to assassinate French President Charles De Gaulle. “Considering you expect to get France itself, you esteem your country very cheap,” he adds noting the shock at his fee. With the contract made, the story commences of how the Organisation Armée Secrète (OAS) hire ‘Charles Calcot’ - the first three letters of each name making CHA-CAL (jackal in French) - to remedy their sense of betrayal at the granting of Algerian independence.
In ‘The Day of The Jackal’ we read of the assassin’s meticulously prepared false identities: the Danish Pastor Jensen, the American student Marty Schulberg and others. He orders his custom-built weapon from the mild-mannered Belgian armourer Goossens. He tests it in a forest glade in the Ardennes, and then welds it under the chassis of his sports car as he journeys towards Paris. Yet it is through the capture and torture of OAS bodyguard Viktor Kowalski that the Action Service get their breakthrough. Then the unassuming detective, Commissaire Claude Lebel, is charged with the unenviable task of identifying and stopping the approaching ‘Jackal’.
The idea for the story came apparently to Frederick Forsyth whilst he was working as a Reuters correspondent in Paris in the early 60’s: the time in which the book’s events are set. The paramilitary organisation OAS existed as described in the book, and the Bastien-Thiry ambush in Chapter 1 is accurate. Forsyth reported from the actual scene and befriended several of De Gaulle’s bodyguards to boot. The rest of the award-winning plot, which he wrote to clear his debts, is fictional, and its success across four decades began with him commenting that he’d “never seen money like it”. Debts paid.
Unlike most novelists at the time, Forsyth used the research techniques of investigative journalism to give it an increased reality. It reads like a reconstruction of historical fact, and, that said, could have used a little more fiction-writing technique in places to add vividness. Yet what we are given is a hugely enjoyable tale of negative tension, where the reader wants something not to happen: the assassination of a French President. As the heads of various departments of state security confer nightly around a table, one can imagine similar scenes in the Paris of our times as new threats to France are faced following the attacks on Charlie Hebdo, the Grenoble gas factory and the Thalys train. It’s to be hoped that men of Commissaire Lebel’s tenacity exist in reality as well as fiction.
And so one recent September afternoon in Paris, with the indulgence of my wife, we wandered south of the Jardin Du Luxembourg in search of the very spot where the climactic action was set. We threaded our way past pavement cafes along the Rue Vavin towards the Boulevard du Montparnasse. It was an unmistakable site at 154 Rue de Rennes where on page 354 Forsyth writes: ‘Six floors up and a hundred and thirty meters away the Jackal held his rifle very steady and squinted down the telescopic sight…’ I took out my camera, focussed and shot the rooftops, recalling the scene: ‘Marchons, marchons a la Victoire’ went the national anthem as the tall, proud general in his khaki kepi hat was positioned in the crosshairs. He pins a medal on a war veteran, leans forward to kiss the man on each cheek suddenly, and… Well, as the story ends, ‘The day of the Jackal was over.’
By this reviewer:
February 16, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Highly entertaining, mystery ride written so well that it's hard to take a glance away from the book, forget putting it down!
The Day of the Jackal is an exceptionally stunning Political Thriller which I happened to read quite late!
This is my first Frederick Forsyth novel & I am cursing myself for not having picked this up before!
The plot is super amazing and right from the first page there's action in the book and the intention pretty clear - French President Charles De Gaulle's life is in danger! FF has flawlessly taken the reader on an edge of the seat ride through London, Vienna, Brussels, Marsailles & finally Paris! Not one dull moment, not one moment of confusion.
I am a fan of good characterizations and FF has nailed it so efficiently that it's gonna be so very difficult for one to forget the image of Commissaire Lebel and ofcourse The Jackal !
Even the minor characters like that of Kowalsky, minister Saint-Clair, Jacqueline are extremely well written. The book has too many characters which are difficult to keep track at the start.
The only problem I had while reading was that there are certain dialogues written in French with no translation and hence had to switch to googling those terms which was a real pain.
Other than that, this is a highly entertaining novel of treachery, espionage, wit and an immersive plot! Loved it!
Edit: One more thing that I'd want to add seperately is that the amount of detailing FF has added to so many parts within the novel is unbelievable and he's really good at it. The Gun manufacturing, fake identities, car chases are so well written with so much detailing that it's as good as real!!
----
Love reading Spy/Espionage novels? Check out the story of a Spy (that never was) :P here
Highly entertaining, mystery ride written so well that it's hard to take a glance away from the book, forget putting it down!
The Day of the Jackal is an exceptionally stunning Political Thriller which I happened to read quite late!
This is my first Frederick Forsyth novel & I am cursing myself for not having picked this up before!
The plot is super amazing and right from the first page there's action in the book and the intention pretty clear - French President Charles De Gaulle's life is in danger! FF has flawlessly taken the reader on an edge of the seat ride through London, Vienna, Brussels, Marsailles & finally Paris! Not one dull moment, not one moment of confusion.
I am a fan of good characterizations and FF has nailed it so efficiently that it's gonna be so very difficult for one to forget the image of Commissaire Lebel and ofcourse The Jackal !
Even the minor characters like that of Kowalsky, minister Saint-Clair, Jacqueline are extremely well written. The book has too many characters which are difficult to keep track at the start.
The only problem I had while reading was that there are certain dialogues written in French with no translation and hence had to switch to googling those terms which was a real pain.
Other than that, this is a highly entertaining novel of treachery, espionage, wit and an immersive plot! Loved it!
Edit: One more thing that I'd want to add seperately is that the amount of detailing FF has added to so many parts within the novel is unbelievable and he's really good at it. The Gun manufacturing, fake identities, car chases are so well written with so much detailing that it's as good as real!!
----
Love reading Spy/Espionage novels? Check out the story of a Spy (that never was) :P here
January 9, 2026
Hutchinson of London fifth impression November 1971 -
And totally brilliant debut of an new writer at that time from Britain who writes about an assassination of the French President in 1963. Everybody knows that this never occurred and the famous man died the 9th of December 1970. This book is a classic and still to this day does not fail to impress readers who come new to it and even the older reader like myself returning find so much strength in this volume which can be topped with very great difficulty by any modern writer. It must be difficult to write a novel that is such a masterpiece right at the start of your writing career. Even if the man did write a few books that can easily be seen as classic, none of them raised the bar such as this one, many writers have tried to better this novel on the subject of assassination all still get compared with the original one, which is "The Day of the Jackal".
This book does show us a lot of the unrest of Europe, Africa, Asia after the last big war and the process of decolonization that took place after WWII among the major European nations. And it is the decolonization of Algeria and presidency of the Gaulle that is the root of military unrest in France and the failed plots to kill the General/president that starts the plot to hire an unknown assassin to kill the uncrowned head of France. We get to follow the road to the killing in a most instructive way.
Anatomy of a plot
Here we are introduced to the motivation of the OAS men who want the President of the France dead. This gets plenty of air and is somehow a insight in a bit of history of Europe that is perhaps not as pretty as the French would like. We also meet the unknown assassin who starts plotting his task and all his preparations towards his assignment. Which is done in a lot of detail and you find yourselves immersed in the underworld of a Europe more than 50 years ago that is anything but dark. It is here that Forsyth does his best to start up his story and while you find what the man is doing you are somehow left in the dark what he is really up to, which makes you want to continue reading to find out how the killer is going to do the job. The last part of this part is the French Police finding out that there is an unknown assassin about and they have to stop him with absolutely no bloody idea where to look, what to look at and whom they are searching. And so the tension rises. Onward to the second part of the book.
The French police due to some questionable tactics have found out that there is threat against Charles the Gaulle and they start to mount a manhunt, which starts with them knowing nothing except the moniker "The Jackal" of le Chacal.
In an odd choice they actually give the job of hunting down this job to their best detective, which is political for he who gets burned and keeping the blame away from the political appointments. The choice seems to be a good one as this commisaire decides to use the old boys network to find out about an unknown assassin and finds in a British policeman one who actually changes the game, and even after de Gaulle kept the UK out of the European Economic Community gets his governments backing to stop the killing of head of State.
Now the heat gets turned up for the Jackal and he gets warned every step of the way and hence knows to keep out of the hand of the French police. But now he's got the full might of the French government and police-force on his tail including the whole of the British police-force.
Some of the tactics of the Jackal are basically wrong but intriguing, you know he is going to fail in the end as we all know that De Gaulle was never killed but you want to have come as far as possible.
By now the net is closing around the lone assassin and his source of information does seem to dry up when his direct opponent finally gets smart and tracks down his source of Intel and closes it down. He is now in Paris and yet seems to be untraceable for the French Police. The man has some moves left before his final confrontation with his hunter.
And yet there is no closure as the final twist is yet to come.
After close to fifty years and several reads by myself I found out what a class A thriller this still was and still had the power to make met feel the excitement and wonder which makes this just a special kind of book. And to think that this was the writers first book he had yet to show his skills in more titles , which he more than brilliantly has done several times over. But this book still is special and when you want to make a list about brilliant thrillers and this one is not mentioned in that list you have not read enough or done your homework. Go and play some videogames instead reading is wasted on you.
If you have not read the book yet, I envy you for the bliss and great thriller that awaits you.
And totally brilliant debut of an new writer at that time from Britain who writes about an assassination of the French President in 1963. Everybody knows that this never occurred and the famous man died the 9th of December 1970. This book is a classic and still to this day does not fail to impress readers who come new to it and even the older reader like myself returning find so much strength in this volume which can be topped with very great difficulty by any modern writer. It must be difficult to write a novel that is such a masterpiece right at the start of your writing career. Even if the man did write a few books that can easily be seen as classic, none of them raised the bar such as this one, many writers have tried to better this novel on the subject of assassination all still get compared with the original one, which is "The Day of the Jackal".
This book does show us a lot of the unrest of Europe, Africa, Asia after the last big war and the process of decolonization that took place after WWII among the major European nations. And it is the decolonization of Algeria and presidency of the Gaulle that is the root of military unrest in France and the failed plots to kill the General/president that starts the plot to hire an unknown assassin to kill the uncrowned head of France. We get to follow the road to the killing in a most instructive way.
Anatomy of a plot
Here we are introduced to the motivation of the OAS men who want the President of the France dead. This gets plenty of air and is somehow a insight in a bit of history of Europe that is perhaps not as pretty as the French would like. We also meet the unknown assassin who starts plotting his task and all his preparations towards his assignment. Which is done in a lot of detail and you find yourselves immersed in the underworld of a Europe more than 50 years ago that is anything but dark. It is here that Forsyth does his best to start up his story and while you find what the man is doing you are somehow left in the dark what he is really up to, which makes you want to continue reading to find out how the killer is going to do the job. The last part of this part is the French Police finding out that there is an unknown assassin about and they have to stop him with absolutely no bloody idea where to look, what to look at and whom they are searching. And so the tension rises. Onward to the second part of the book.
The French police due to some questionable tactics have found out that there is threat against Charles the Gaulle and they start to mount a manhunt, which starts with them knowing nothing except the moniker "The Jackal" of le Chacal.
In an odd choice they actually give the job of hunting down this job to their best detective, which is political for he who gets burned and keeping the blame away from the political appointments. The choice seems to be a good one as this commisaire decides to use the old boys network to find out about an unknown assassin and finds in a British policeman one who actually changes the game, and even after de Gaulle kept the UK out of the European Economic Community gets his governments backing to stop the killing of head of State.
Now the heat gets turned up for the Jackal and he gets warned every step of the way and hence knows to keep out of the hand of the French police. But now he's got the full might of the French government and police-force on his tail including the whole of the British police-force.
Some of the tactics of the Jackal are basically wrong but intriguing, you know he is going to fail in the end as we all know that De Gaulle was never killed but you want to have come as far as possible.
By now the net is closing around the lone assassin and his source of information does seem to dry up when his direct opponent finally gets smart and tracks down his source of Intel and closes it down. He is now in Paris and yet seems to be untraceable for the French Police. The man has some moves left before his final confrontation with his hunter.
And yet there is no closure as the final twist is yet to come.
After close to fifty years and several reads by myself I found out what a class A thriller this still was and still had the power to make met feel the excitement and wonder which makes this just a special kind of book. And to think that this was the writers first book he had yet to show his skills in more titles , which he more than brilliantly has done several times over. But this book still is special and when you want to make a list about brilliant thrillers and this one is not mentioned in that list you have not read enough or done your homework. Go and play some videogames instead reading is wasted on you.
If you have not read the book yet, I envy you for the bliss and great thriller that awaits you.
March 4, 2022
This book may have been pretty groundbreaking when it was first published, and to its credit, it has spawned countless imitators. To a modern reader (or at least this modern reader), the very fun cat-and-mouse game between Lebel and Le Chacal got stuck in a sticky swamp of manufactured plotlines, poor characterization and one incredible coincidence too many.
The good parts were great. I really enjoyed the discussion between the Jackal and the gunmaker, and appreciated the fact that the detective was not a brilliant orator or stylishly flashy crimebuster, but rather a grinder, a back-room functionary who locked onto his target and never gave up. One trick the author used at first it seemed overly clever, but his midnight reminders of the changing calendar helped keep things straight in the reader's head.
This would have been a better book if all the committee meetings, the late encounter between the Jackal and the Countess, and the endless tedium of 1970's international telephone technology had been struck out. (Oddly, however, whenever a critical clue turned up deep in rural France or a small town in Shropshire, the message passed through without delay.)
This started slow and improved, but if you're reading this for the first time, it will probably be more for historical interest than actual storytelling.
The good parts were great. I really enjoyed the discussion between the Jackal and the gunmaker, and appreciated the fact that the detective was not a brilliant orator or stylishly flashy crimebuster, but rather a grinder, a back-room functionary who locked onto his target and never gave up. One trick the author used at first it seemed overly clever, but his midnight reminders of the changing calendar helped keep things straight in the reader's head.
This would have been a better book if all the committee meetings, the late encounter between the Jackal and the Countess, and the endless tedium of 1970's international telephone technology had been struck out. (Oddly, however, whenever a critical clue turned up deep in rural France or a small town in Shropshire, the message passed through without delay.)
This started slow and improved, but if you're reading this for the first time, it will probably be more for historical interest than actual storytelling.
July 15, 2018
Any details I give about this book will quaff the fun out of this engaging read, so I would stick to the literary basics. The author does very well in setting up the context in the first half and drives the reader to fast-paced action that follows. The Day of the Jackal is a captivating battle between two meticulous professionals, two experts of their trades on either side of the law. And finally, beneath all its action, drama and chases, it actually boils down to which of them is more disciplined about his work. At one point I did feel though one of the characters did something totally out of character, but I could attribute it to survival instinct. A must read thriller.
August 9, 2018
I did an event with Freddy years ago in Australia and I was so nervous to meet him but he was such a charming gentleman--and very kind to me. Class act. Terrific writer.
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