Frederick Forsyth, the acclaimed British author of best-selling thrillers like 'The Day of the Jackal,' 'The Odessa File,' and 'The Dogs of War,' has died at 86 after a brief illness. Known for his meticulous research and firecracker plots, Forsyth drew on his experiences as a journalist for Reuters and the BBC, and his work as an intelligence 'asset' for MI6 during the Cold War. He sold over 75 million books worldwide and was honored with a CBE.
The Day of the Jackal author Frederick Forsyth dies
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Frederick Forsyth, the acclaimed British author of best-selling thrillers like 'The Day of the Jackal,' 'The Odessa File,' and 'The Dogs of War,' has died at 86 after a brief illness. Known for his meticulous research and firecracker plots, Forsyth drew on his experiences as a journalist for Reuters and the BBC, and his work as an intelligence 'asset' for MI6 during the Cold War. He sold over 75 million books worldwide and was honored with a CBE.
Trending- 1 1938: Born in Ashford, Kent.
- 2 1961: Worked for Reuters in Paris, covering turmoil related to Charles de Gaulle.
- 3 1967: Sent by BBC to Nigeria to cover the Biafran war.
- 4 1968: Returned to Biafra as a freelance reporter and began working for MI6.
- 5 December 1969: Returned to the UK.
- 6 1971: Published 'The Day of the Jackal'.
- 7 1972: Published 'The Odessa File'.
- 8 1974: Investigated illegal arms trade for 'The Dogs of War'.
- 9 1997: Awarded CBE.
- 10 2002: 'Avenger' published.
- 11 2015: Autobiography 'The Outsider' published.
- 12 2018: Published 'The Fox'.
- 13 2025-06-09: Died aged 86 after a brief illness.
- The literary world mourns the loss of a master thriller writer
- His works continue to be read and influence the genre
What: The death of renowned British thriller author and former MI6 intelligence asset, Frederick Forsyth.
When: Died aged 86 after a brief illness; announcement made on 2025-06-09. Born in 1938. National service, Reuters journalist in 1961, BBC in 1967, freelance reporter in 1968, MI6 asset for over 20 years, returned to UK in 1969, 'The Day of the Jackal' published in 1971, 'The Odessa File' in 1972, 'The Dogs of War' in 1974, CBE in 1997, 'Avenger' in 2002, 'The Outsider' in 2015, 'The Fox' in 2018.
Where: Ashford (Kent), Paris, East Germany, Nigeria (Biafra), Hamburg, UK, Buenos Aires, Paraguay.
Why: Natural causes, following a brief illness.
How: His death was announced by his agent. His writing career was shaped by his journalistic experiences and intelligence work.