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Frederick Forsyth

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Frederick Forsyth

Frederick McCarthy Forsyth ( for-SYTH; 25 August 1938 – 9 June 2025) was an English novelist and journalist. 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, The Cobra and The Kill List. Forsyth's works frequently appeared on best-sellers lists, and more than a dozen of his titles have been adapted to film. By 2006, he had sold more than 70 million books in more than 30 languages. He also worked as a journalist, first joining Reuters in 1961 before serving as an assistant diplomatic correspondent in 1965 for the BBC. He also frequently wrote a column for the newspaper Daily Express, often regarding political and social issues from Forsyth's politically conservative-leaning perspective.

Infobox

Born
Frederick McCarthy Forsyth(1938-08-25)25 August 1938Ashford, Kent, England
Died
9 June 2025(2025-06-09) (aged 86)Jordans, Buckinghamshire, England
Occupation
Novelist
Education
Tonbridge School, Kent
Period
1969–2025
Genre
mw- li , li Crime fictionthriller
Notable works
The Day of the JackalThe Odessa FileThe Dogs of WarThe Fourth ProtocolThe Fist of GodNo Comebacks
Spouse
mw- Carole Cunningham (m. 1973; div. 1988) Sandy Molloy (m. 1994; died 2024)
Allegiance
United Kingdom
Branch
Royal Air Force
Years of service
1956–1958
Rank
Pilot officer
Service number
5010968
Service years
1956–1958

Tables

Works by Frederick Forsyth · Bibliography
Title
Year
Notes
Ref.
The Biafra Story
1969
Non-fiction. 1977 edition titled The Biafra Story: The Making of an African Legend.
The Day of the Jackal
1971
Adapted into the 1973 film of the same name.
The Odessa File
1972
Adapted into the 1974 film of the same name.
The Dogs of War
1974
Adapted into the 1980 film of the same name.
The Shepherd
1975
Illustrated short story.
The Devil's Alternative
1979
Emeka
1982
Biography of C. Odumegwu Ojukwu, President of Biafra.
No Comebacks
1982
Collection consisting of ten short stories.
The Fourth Protocol
1984
Adapted into the 1987 film of the same name.
The Negotiator
1989
The Deceiver
1991
Great Flying Stories
1991
Compiled, edited and introduced by Forsyth. Features his 1975 story "The Shepherd" and "The Black Aeroplane"
Sharp Practice
1992
An audiobook of three short stories from No Comebacks, read by Edward de Souza
The Fist of God
1994
Icon
1996
Adapted into 2005 television film.
The Phantom of Manhattan
1999
Partly adapted into the 2010 romantic musical Love Never Dies.
The Veteran
2001
Collection consisting of five short stories: "The Veteran", "The Art of the Matter", "The Miracle", "The Citizen", and "Whispering Wind".
Avenger
2003
Adapted into 2006 television film.
The Afghan
2006
Characters from The Fist of God reappear.
The Cobra
2010
The Kill List
2013
The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue
2015
Autobiography. Published in September 2015.
The Fox
2018
Revenge of Odessa
2025
Sequel to The Odessa File. Written with Tony Kent. Scheduled to be released on 2 September 2025.
· Filmography › Film
1973
Role(s)
Adapted from The Day of the Jackal
1974
Role(s)
Adapted from The Odessa File
1980
Role(s)
Adapted from The Dogs of War
1987
Role(s)
Adapted from The Fourth Protocol
1997
Role(s)
Based on the 1973 film
2023
Role(s)
Adapted from The Shepherd
Year
Title
Notes
Ref.
1973
The Day of the Jackal
Adapted from The Day of the Jackal
1974
The Odessa File
Adapted from The Odessa File
1980
The Dogs of War
Adapted from The Dogs of War
1987
The Fourth Protocol
Adapted from The Fourth Protocol
1997
The Jackal
Based on the 1973 film
2023
The Shepherd
Adapted from The Shepherd
· Filmography › Television
1973
Role(s)
TV play; one of 10 short stories in No Comebacks
1980
Role(s)
TV film
1984
Two by Forsyth
Role(s)
2 episodes: "Privilege" and "A Careful Man"
1989–90
Role(s)
Frederick Forsyth Presents
Notes
6 episodes; as writer and presenter
1996
Code Name: Wolverine
Role(s)
TV film
2005
Role(s)
TV film; adapted from Icon
2006
Role(s)
TV film; adapted from Avenger
2024
Role(s)
Adapted from The Day of the Jackal
Year
Title
Notes
Ref.
1973
Money with Menaces
TV play; one of 10 short stories in No Comebacks
1980
Cry of the Innocent
TV film
1984
Two by Forsyth
2 episodes: "Privilege" and "A Careful Man"
1989–90
Frederick Forsyth Presents
6 episodes; as writer and presenter
1996
Code Name: Wolverine
TV film
2005
Icon
TV film; adapted from Icon
2006
Avenger
TV film; adapted from Avenger
2024
The Day of the Jackal
Adapted from The Day of the Jackal
· Filmography › Theatre
2010
Role(s)
West End; partially adapted from The Phantom of Manhattan
Year
Title
Notes
2010
Love Never Dies
West End; partially adapted from The Phantom of Manhattan
· Filmography › Video
2012
Role(s)
Direct-to-video
Year
Title
Notes
2012
Love Never Dies
Direct-to-video
· Filmography › Video games
1985
Role(s)
Adapted from The Fourth Protocol
Year
Title
Notes
1985
The Fourth Protocol
Adapted from The Fourth Protocol
· Filmography › Music videos
2016
"Fallen Soldier"
Role(s)
Melissa Alder
Year
Title
Artist
2016
"Fallen Soldier"
Melissa Alder

References

  1. "Listen to Frederick Forsyth address Wole Soyinka about their last night in Biafra.I went to speak to him about Biafra, for my historical novel, "The Women of Biafra.""
    https://x.com/onyekanwelue/status/1798530984628924757
  2. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online
    https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/frederick-forsyth
  3. "Forsyth Looks at World of Al-Qaida"
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=20060903&id=XWxUAAAAIBAJ&pg=6521,848695&hl=en
  4. "Frederick Forsyth: Life as a thriller writer, fighter pilot, journalist and spy"
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cley59le6d8o
  5. The Hollywood Reporter
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/frederick-forsyth-dead-day-of-the-jackal-author-1236260284/
  6. The London Gazette
    https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40902/supplement/5846
  7. The London Gazette
    https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41165/supplement/5169
  8. The London Gazette
    https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41687/supplement/2611
  9. The Independent
    https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/books/news/frederick-forsyth-death-day-of-the-jackal-b2766679.html
  10. Nigeria War Against Biafra, 1967–70, Part 3
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7qQdZ9nzbI
  11. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jun/09/frederick-forsyth-day-of-the-jackal-author-and-former-mi6-agent-dies-aged-86
  12. Biblio
    http://www.biblio.com/authors/27/Frederick_Forsyth_Biography.html
  13. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/01/frederick-forsyth-i-was-an-mi6-agent
  14. "Frederick Forsyth Reveals MI6 Spying Past"
    https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34101822
  15. Daily Express
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1804597/Frederick-Forsyth-Daily-Express-column
  16. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/jun/26/1
  17. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/14/movies/tv-review-cavalry-2d-episode-in-men-in-battle-series.html
  18. Jesus Christ Airlines
    https://brill.com/view/journals/hcm/13/1/article-p34_002.xml
  19. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jul/29/documentary.worldcinema
  20. Frederick Forsyth, "Author's Note: A Rather Undeserving Scribe," introduction to New American Library re-issue of The Da
  21. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/06/09/frederick-forsyth-dead/
  22. Variety
    https://variety.com/2025/film/news/frederick-forsyth-dead-dies-the-day-of-the-jackal-1236423859/
  23. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/books/frederick-forsyth-dead.html
  24. The Odessa File
    https://archive.today/20250614091000/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/frederick-forsyth-the-odessa-file/
  25. "THE ODESSA FILE"
    https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/28046/the-odessa-file#overview
  26. Hunting Evil: The Nazi War Criminals Who Escaped and the Quest to Bring Them to Justice
    https://books.google.com/books?id=X5EgykND42kC&pg=PA443
  27. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1974/07/14/archives/the-dogs-of-war-by-frederick-forsyth-408-pp-new-york-the-viking.html
  28. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/frederick-forsyth-4/the-dogs-of-war-2/
  29. Deadline
    https://deadline.com/2025/06/frederick-forsyth-dead-day-of-jackal-author-1236428417/
  30. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/frederick-forsyth-2/the-shepherd/
  31. The Devil's Alternative: A Thriller
    https://books.google.com/books?id=MOqtXGAJx6gC
  32. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/frederick-forsyth-2/the-devils-alternative/
  33. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/25/books/best-sellers-fiction.html
  34. Encyclopedia.com
    https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/forsyth-frederick
  35. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/30/books/books-of-the-times-164150.html
  36. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1984/08/26/fredrick-forsyths-finest/242aaae1-cf8d-4feb-bbfd-53447d42a4da/
  37. Filmink
    https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-studios-the-rank-organisation-1982-1997/
  38. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fourth_protocol
  39. RogerEbert.com
    https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fourth-protocol-1987
  40. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/16/books/half-mad-billionaries-and-electronic-whatsits.html
  41. Publishers Weekly
    https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780553053616
  42. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frederick-forsyth/the-deceiver/
  43. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-17-bk-175-story.html
  44. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frederick-forsyth/the-fist-of-god/
  45. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frederick-forsyth/icon/
  46. BBC
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cley59le6d8o
  47. Live Weekend
    https://web.archive.org/web/20130404061259/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0004/15/lklw.00.html
  48. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/nov/10/fiction.reviews2
  49. Oxford Mail
    https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6572529.review-avenger-frederick-forsyth/
  50. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frederick-forsyth/avenger/
  51. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frederick-forsyth/the-afghan/
  52. Daily Review Atlas
    https://www.reviewatlas.com/story/opinion/columns/2021/12/09/william-urban-frederick-forsyths-novel-the-cobra/8890449002/
  53. Slash film
    http://www.slashfilm.com/rupert-sanders-to-direct-frederick-forsyth-adaptation-the-kill-list/
  54. "'The Outsider: My Life In Intrigue' by Fredrick Forsyth"
    https://www.wamc.org/the-roundtable/2015-11-19/the-outsider-my-life-in-intrigue-by-fredrick-forsyth
  55. Cowdrey, Katherine (9 January 2018): "Forsyth to release hacking thriller this autumn Archived 8 October 2018 at the Way
    https://www.thebookseller.com/news/transworld-publish-new-forsyth-novel-autumn-704846
  56. Deccan Herald
    https://www.deccanherald.com/features/hacking-telepathy-714909.html
  57. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/at-80-frederick-forsyth-has-produced-a-classic-thriller-thats-also-eerily-relevant/2018/10/24/40904d32-d15d-11e8-83d6-291fcead2ab1_story.html
  58. CWA Diamond Dagger Awards
    https://web.archive.org/web/20121020210305/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2012/diamond.html
  59. The London Gazette
    https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54625/supplement/8
  60. "Frederick Forsyth: Life as a thriller writer, fighter pilot, journalist and spy"
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cley59le6d8o.amp
  61. "Thrills and Kills: Interview with Frederick Forsyth"
    https://www.jobakeronline.com/article/thrills-and-kills/
  62. Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/11/frederick-forsyth-telegraph-correspondence/
  63. "Thrills and Kills: Interview with Frederick Forsyth"
    https://www.jobakeronline.com/article/thrills-and-kills/
  64. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/06/09/frederick-forsyth-day-jackal-assassination-thriller/
  65. "The Day Of The Jackal author Frederick Forsyth dies"
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj4ljxv17xo
  66. "How Frederick Forsyth, a war correspondent, became the thriller legend"
    https://thefederal.com/category/features/frederick-forsyth-fighter-pilot-war-correspondent-bestselling-thriller-writer-191988
  67. The Northern Echo
    https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6953544.best-selling-author-calls-voters-oust-blair/
  68. The Northern Echo
    https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6953915.novelist-backs-murdered-redcaps-father/
  69. BBC
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07g06ch
  70. "Thrills and Kills: Interview with Frederick Forsyth"
    https://www.jobakeronline.com/article/thrills-and-kills/
  71. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/jun/26/1
  72. "The Day Of The Jackal author Frederick Forsyth dies"
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj4ljxv17xo
  73. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-daily-telegraph-saturday/20190112/282016148484672
  74. New York Daily News, 25 August 1987.
  75. BBC
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2006/01/31/hertfordshire_literary_map_feature.shtml
  76. Penguin.co.uk
    https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/100/1000661/frederick-forsyth.html?tab=penguin-biography
  77. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buy/take-peek-inside-spy-to-writer-frederick-forsyths-fortress/
  78. TheGuardian.com
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/14/frederick-forsyth-to-stop-writing-thrillers
  79. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj4ljxv17xo
  80. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jun/09/frederick-forsyth-obituary
  81. Canadian Journal of African Studies
    https://www.jstor.org/stable/483513
  82. NBC
    https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/how-the-day-of-the-jackal-paid-homage-to-the-1973-classic-film
  83. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/19/archives/the-screen-neames-odessa-filethriller-about-secret-ss-society-opens.html
  84. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/13/movies/dogs-of-war-forsyth-s-mercenaries.html
  85. The Times
    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/frederick-forsyth-obituary-day-of-the-jackal-author-pzw5pkv9q
  86. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/16/books/half-mad-billionaries-and-electronic-whatsits.html
  87. Great Flying Stories
    https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/329060/great-flying-stories-by-frederick-forsyth/9780552138963
  88. Sun Sentinel
    https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1992/05/17/early-elmore-leonard-work-superb/
  89. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frederick-forsyth/the-veteran/
  90. The Veteran: Five Heart-Stopping Stories
    https://books.google.com/books?id=BjlAPwAACAAJ
  91. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avenger-2006
  92. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/14/the-fox-by-frederick-forsyth-digested-read
  93. Revenge of Odessa By Frederick Forsyth, Tony Kent
    https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777155/revenge-of-odessa-by-frederick-forsyth-with-tony-kent/
  94. KABC-TV
    https://abc7.com/the-shepherd-john-travolta-iain-softley-disney/14123484/
  95. The Bolton News
    https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bolton-news-clerks-wild-adventure/174494093/
  96. Kirkus Reviews
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/frederick-forsyth-3/no-comebacks-stories/
  97. Turner Classic Movies
    http://prod.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/459998/cry-of-the-innocent/
  98. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/28/arts/tv-review-2-short-stories-by-frederick-forsyth.html
  99. Apple TV
    https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/frederick-forsyth-presents/umc.cmc.6c8cgej3vzp47jw96sy8u1dyd
  100. TVGuide
    https://www.tvguide.com/movies/code-name-wolverine/cast/2030347852/
  101. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frederick_forsyths_icon
  102. Rotten Tomatoes
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avenger-2006
  103. Deadline
    https://deadline.com/2024/11/the-day-of-the-jackal-carnival-gareth-neame-eddie-redmayne-1236163348/
  104. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/mar/03/love-never-dies
  105. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/jan/25/love-never-dies-dvd-film
  106. "GAMES Magazine #70"
    http://archive.org/details/games701985december
  107. BBC
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p040m4d6
  108. Belfast Telegraph
    https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/novelist-frederick-forsyth-takes-on-lyricist-role-in-song-for-soldiers/34446691.html
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