Farewell to Frederick Forsyth, author of The Day of the Jackal

Frederick Forsyth, author of 'The Day of the Jackal' and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a short illness. This was announced by his literary agent. He was 86 years old.

Forsyth served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force before becoming a foreign correspondent and novelist. 'The Day of the Jackal', published in 1971, brought him worldwide fame. The political thriller about a professional assassin was made into a film in 1973 and, more recently, into a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. He has written more than 25 books, including 'The Afghan', 'The List of Killers' and 'The Fist of God', which have sold over 75 million copies.