The Day of the Jackal

By: Frederick Forsyth

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most celebrated thrillers ever written, The Day of the Jackal is the electrifying story of an anonymous Englishman who in, the spring of 1963, was hired by Colonel Marc Rodin, operations chief of the O.A.S., to assassinate General de Gaulle.

France was infuriated by Charles de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, and there were six known attempts to assassinate the general that failed. This novel dramatizes the seventh, mostly deadly attempt, involving a professional killer for hire who would be unknown to the French Police. His code name was Jackal, his price half a million dollars, and his demand total secrecy, even from his employers.

Step by painstaking step, we follow the Jackal in his meticulous planning, from the fashioning of a specially made rifle to the devising of his approach to the time and the place where the general is to meet the Jackal's bullet. The only obstacle in his path is a small, diffident, rumpled policeman, who happens to be considered by his boss the best detective in France: Deputy Commissaire Claude Lebel.

©1971 Frederick Forsyth (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A masterpiece tour de force of crisp, sharp, suspenseful writing." ( Wall Street Journal)
"Compelling, utterly enthralling....Some of the tensest thriller writing I can remember reading." ( Sunday Express, London)

classic book with excellent narration

not only does the narrator go through different tones but different accents. engaging to the end.

A reminder of how police work was done in the past

Struggled with the beginning of a book as it attempted to set the stage for the need of the Jackal's services. Eventually the plot became clear and the book more enjoyable. A great reminder of how police work was really done prior to Modern forensics and computers. everything was so manual, how soon we forget.

Great presentation, good book

This is a lot less dated than, say, "The Bourne Identity". As a purely historical period piece with no need to reflect the modern, this is quite good. Simon Prebble does a fantastic job with the presentation of the story. He doesn't try to do too much with the differentiation of the character's voices, and yet they are pretty distinctive. Very well handled.

Forsyth’s best!

A generally excellent reading of Forsyth’s best book. I highly recommend. Will listen to more.

This was a well thought out story.

The first twenty minutes or so were a bit slow, but that was just to suck you in. I couldn't wait for road trips. I needed to know what happed.

Good spy hunt story, a little dated

If you are a fan of spy-hunt novels, this is definitely a good one. Keep in mind it was written a few decades ago, so some of the content is going to be dated. That should not keep you from enjoying this novel.

Oldie but still a goodie

The story holds up though most won't remember the situation or politics of the time. Great cat and mouse adventure.

One of the best "cat & mouse" thrillers.

For those who are looking for a "classic" style thriller, this is one of the best of the genre. If you haven't heard this one, or are thinking about trying something from this style of mystery thriller, this is at the top of the class. Yes, the action takes place in the 1960's, but the story, characters, procedures, and tension are timeless.

Every step in the story keeps us interested. It is actually told as two parallel stories - one from the perspective of the cat; one from that of the mouse. Every step of the way, you are kept wondering, "How will he be able to do that?" The story-telling does not disappoint or lag anywhere.

This story deserves all of the fame is has gotten. (Look it up!) And Simon Prebble's reading is perfect, as always.

Incredible

This story absolutely blew me away. Forsyth was a master! The whole thing is like one giant crescendo

What a compelling thriller, and extremely well narrated

I have never seen this movie nor read the book, but I decided to take a chance on this very old book. What a treat! The narrator does a wonderful job and the story moves along quickly for what is quite a long book. Well worth a listen.