The Day of the Jackal

By: Frederick Forsyth

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

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)

Tight & fantastic political/cat-and-mouse thriller

Edgar award winner 'The Day of the Jackal' is well-paced, originally plotted and filled with amazing research. Forsyth clearly belongs among the top ranks of the great thriller writers. He is often immitated (Clancy, Thor, McBain) but NEVER really replicated.

Beyond the merits of the novel itself, the Day of the Jackal has also influenced actual assassins (Yigal Amir and Vladimir Arutinian), inspired the nickname for Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (aka Carlos the 'Jackal') and provided both an inspiration to and techniques for several genearations of identiy thieves. That is a helluva lot for just one novel's resume.

One of the best thrillers I've ever read!

This is my second time reading this book. My first time was decades ago, in paperback. It's still as riveting, tense, educational, meticulous, and satisfying as my first time! Frederick Forsyth is a master storyteller!

I loved watching the cat and mouse game between these two adversaries (the Jackal and detective) at the height of their wits and powers.

Now I plan to watch the movie, starring Edward Fox, and reread Forsyth's other masterpiece, "The Odessa File."

It’s excellent

It’s great if you’re here reading this go for it you won’t be disappointed. Some may find it a little too detailed but those details build so much in the way of plausibility you forget it’s fiction.

An interesting read

This book has intreague, but it lacks mystery and suspense. I enjoyed the book well enough that I could recommend it to others, but it would not be at the top of my conversation.

Great suspense story!

Very well done, historically based fiction. Keeps you on the edge waiting for the next development. So realistic sounding it could have easily been a true story.