The Day of the Jackal by Fredrick Forsyth

The Day of the Jackal by Fredrick Forsyth is a political thriller novel published in 1971.

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General Summary (No Spoilers!)

Set in 1963, the book opens with “It is cold at six-forty in the morning on a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.” The man in question is named Jean Bastien-Thiry, an OAS leader of a meticulously planned assassination attempt. The attack ultimately failed and he was captured.

An underground war has been raging on between the Action Service (the French version of the CIA) and the paramilitary terrorist group Organisation Armée Secrète. The OAS leaders become desperate as their faction starts collapsing and so they contact a mysterious political assassin codenamed “The Jackal” for one last attempt to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle. The Jackal accepts only on the condition he is paid $500,000 (in today’s money, $3.5 million).

The rest of the novel follows The Jackal’s solo preparations for the kill and the Action Service’s manhunt / efforts to uncover the plot.

Background

Previously Algeria (a country in Africa) was a French colony. In 1954, a revolutionary war broke out between the Algerians and French. It lasted until 1962 when the famous French president Charles de Gaulle signed a document granting Algeria their independence (read more about the situation here).

The French military had fought for years to keep Algeria under French control, watching their friends die for a cause they believed in. Therefore, many soldiers felt President de Gaulle had discredited their sacrifices and betrayed them by giving Algeria its independence.

This led thousands of soldiers to create a paramilitary faction called the Organisation Armée Secrète, or OAS for short. The group carried out massive terrorist attacks / assassination attempts in an effort to prevent Algeria’s independence. At this point in time is where The Day of the Jackal begins.

Author Fredrick Forsyth became friends with a few of the President’s bodyguards and personally reported on the infamous roadside assassination attempt that de Gaulle barely escaped in the opening scenes of the novel. Yes, the attack really happened! There are many examples of historical events blended into the story.

Themes

Archetype Of An Anti-Hero

The Jackal is a perfect example of an anti-hero. An anti-hero in literature is a protagonist who lacks heroic qualities (Hannibal Lector in The Silence of The Lambs)

Archetype of An Assassin

The Jackal is the ideal professional assassin. He is described as a tall, blond Englishman of athletic build living in London. No one knows his true identity and he never works with a partner. He is cold and rational, meticulously planning every tiny detail

Protection of Important Political Figures

Forsyth used his ties with the president’s bodyguards + a background in investigative journalism to heavily research how political figures are protected. His attentiveness to details shows itself in the depth of The Jackal’s planning throughout the book.

Review

In terms of shooting and action, the story develops slower than other thrillers, but it is an immersive experience; you are exposed to the thoroughness of The Jackal’s planning and get to see how a true assassin would work. The anticipation / tension build throughout the novel and keeps you interested while reading.

Fredrick Forsyth’s blending of historical accuracy into the novel set it apart from other books in the genre. If you are not familiar with the Algerian War and de Gaulle presidency, then after reading this book you will have to go to Google to see which parts of the story are true. It is a fictional plot but feels that realistic.

Finally, the mysteriousness and professionalism surrounding The Jackal separate the character from other cheesy “assassins”.

Personal Thoughts and Recommendations

I liked reading The Day of The Jackal and would rate it as one of the top action books I’ve read (I finished it in a single day). My favorite elements of the novel are the historically accurate setting, the very detailed / realistic overall plot, and the protagonist “The Jackal”.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes spy thrillers with memorable main characters. For example, if you like The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, then you should read The Day of The Jackal.

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