Frederick Forsyth

Author:
Frederick Forsyth

Date of birth: 25th August 1938
Place of birth: Ashford, Kent UK

About the author:
Frederick Forsyth (Frederick McCarthy Forsyth) was an English novelist and journalist, widely celebrated as a master of the geopolitical thriller genre.
Born on August 25, 1938, in Ashford, Kent, England, he passed away on June 9, 2025, at the age of 86. His career was marked by a diverse range of experiences that heavily influenced his writing.
Career Highlights
Royal Air Force: He completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a pilot from 1956 to 1958, for a while being the youngest fighter pilot in the force.
Journalism: He transitioned into a career in journalism, working first as a reporter for the Eastern Daily Press. His fluency in French, German, Spanish, and Russian led him to join the Reuters news agency as a foreign correspondent in Paris in 1961. He later worked for the BBC as an assistant diplomatic correspondent.
Biafra War: A major turning point came in 1967 when the BBC sent him to cover the Biafran War in Nigeria. After a disagreement over the BBC's editorial line, he resigned and returned as a freelance reporter, later writing the non-fiction book The Biafra Story.
Literary Career
Forsyth turned to fiction after returning to the UK with no job or savings, deciding to write a novel based on his journalism experiences.
Debut Novel: His first novel, The Day of the Jackal (1971), about a professional assassin hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle, was a massive international bestseller. It won the Edgar Allan Poe Award and established the author's distinct style, which combines meticulous research and fast-paced, detailed plots.
Notable Works: His other famous thriller novels include The Odessa File (1972), The Dogs of War (1974), and The Fourth Protocol (1984). His books have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide and have been adapted into numerous films and TV series.
In his 2015 autobiography, The Outsider, Forsyth disclosed that he had worked as an intelligence "asset" for MI6 for over twenty years. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1997 for his literary contributions.

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