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Bestselling Spy Novelist Frederick Forsyth Dies at 86

A sequel to The Odessa File scheduled for August underlines the enduring appeal of his rigorously researched spy novels.

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Overview

  • Forsyth died June 9 at his home in Jordans, England, surrounded by his family after a brief illness, his literary agents said, prompting tributes from colleagues and readers worldwide.
  • Early in his career he served as one of the youngest RAF pilots before reporting on global conflicts for Reuters and the BBC and acting as an MI6 asset during the Biafran War and Cold War.
  • Drawing on those experiences he wrote The Day of the Jackal in just 35 days in 1971, launching a wave of meticulously researched thrillers that redefined the genre.
  • Over his lifetime he authored more than 25 novels that sold over 75 million copies and inspired film and TV adaptations including multiple versions of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Dogs of War.
  • His publisher announced that Revenge of Odessa, a sequel to The Odessa File co-written with Tony Kent, will be released posthumously in August.