On June 9, Frederick Forsyth, the novelist who pioneered a genre of writing which neatly blurred the dividing line between reality and fiction, passed away at his home in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, at the ripe old age of 86.
His publisher Bill Scott-Kerr so very rightly observed, “Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire. He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.”
His literary agent Jonathan Lloyd was not in the least exaggerating when he declared, "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers." Indeed, that was what Forsyth was. He wrote more than 25 books, including “The Day of the Jackal”, “The Odessa File”, and “The Dogs of War”, which sold 75 million copies worldwide.
An entire generation grew up reading these brilliant books, which, between them, gave deep insights into the world of assassins, armed mercenaries, shadowy espionage, ex-Nazi murderers, et al. Each of the books were known for their meticulous research, subject knowledge, and a style of narration which took the reader on rollercoaster rides.
Take, for instance, “The Day of the Jackal”, which was his debut novel published in 1971, revolving around a carefully planned plot to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle by the far right, who were upset with his decision to jettison the colony of Algeria.
Apparently, the novel was inspired by the life of Jean-Marie Bastien Thiry, a French fanatic who was a member of Organisation de l'Arme'e Secrete, which was vehemently opposed to granting independence to Algeria.
Forsyth's detailed narration of the filing of a special suppressed sniper rifle into a crutch of the assassin dressed up as a war-wounded veteran, the smuggling of the slim weapon through the French border from Italy in the undercarriage of a camouflaged Alfa Romeo, the choice of a window overlooking Place du 18 Juin 1940, where de Gaulle was to present medals to Resistance veterans, etc., revealed his brilliance.
“The Day of the Jackal", which was turned into a hugely successful movie, raised the bar, as it were, for his subsequent works. Forsyth did not disappoint his fans, who were in legions, when he released his second novel, “The Odessa File", in 1972, which was also turned into a box-office hit starring Jon Voight.
It was about a British reporter exposing a deep conspiracy to shield former Nazi officers who had committed crimes against Jews. On noted anti-Nazi crusader Simon Wiesenthal's suggestion, Forsyth featured a Nazi fugitive, Eduard Roschmann, the Butcher of Riga, in the book. When the film version of the book was released, a man who watched it in Argentina recognised the Roschmann character as his neighbour and turned him in.
Forsyth was an RAF fighter pilot, an intelligence agent who worked for MI6, a journalist, a geopolitical expert, and many other things rolled into one. It was a vast experience in different roles which majorly enriched his writings.
He titled his memoir released in 2015 as “The Outsider", even though he was very much the insider who had a ringside view of the shadowy world of espionage, among other things. In November this year, Penguin Random House is expected to publish its sequel to “The Odessa File" titled "Revenge of Odessa", which Forsyth wrote with Tony Kent. It will be worth the wait.
