Frederick Forsyth, the acclaimed British novelist known for his spy thrillers, has died at the age of 86. Forsyth's writing career was influenced by his experiences as a reporter and informant for MI6, particularly during the Biafra War in Nigeria. He achieved fame with his novel The Day of the Jackal, which was completed in just 35 days and became a bestseller. Over his career, he sold more than 75 million books, establishing himself as one of the leading figures in the genre. Forsyth's background included training as an air force pilot and experience at prominent news agencies.
Forsyth, who was a reporter and informant for Britain's MI6 spy agency before turning his hand to writing blockbuster novels like The Day of the Jackal, died on Monday at his home in the village of Jordans in Buckinghamshire, said Jonathan Lloyd, his agent.
The gamble paid off after he penned The Day of the Jackal his story of a fictional assassination attempt on French President Charles de Gaulle by right-wing extremists in just 35 days.
There are several ways of making quick money, but in the general list, writing a novel rates well below robbing a bank, he said in his 2015 autobiography, The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue.
Forsyth trained as an air force pilot, but his linguistic talents he spoke French, German, Spanish and Russian led him to the Reuters news agency in 1961 with postings in Paris and East Berlin during the Cold War.
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