The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
The Day of the Jackal

The Day of the Jackal

The legendary assassination thriller

Summary

* Soon to be a major TV series directed by Brian Kirk and starring Eddie Redmayne! *

The 50th Anniversary Edition of the legendary assassination thriller, with a new introduction by Lee Child.

'As gripping now as it was 50 years ago' THE TIMES
'Masterful suspense . . . The Day of the Jackal changed the shape of popular fiction from the moment it was finished' BEN MACINTYRE
'In a class by itself. Unputdownable' SUNDAY TIMES
_____

One of the most celebrated thrillers ever written, The Day of the Jackal is the exhilarating story of the struggle to catch a killer before it's too late.

1963. An anonymous Englishman is hired by the Operations Chief of French terrorist organisation O.A.S. to murder the French president, General Charles de Gaulle. A failed attempt in the previous year means the target will be nearly impossible to reach.

Only one man could do the job: an assassin of legendary talent known only as The Jackal.

This remorseless and deadly killer must be stopped. But he is a man without a name, without an identity; a lethal spectre.

How can you stop an assassin nobody can identify? The task falls to the best detective in France - and the price of failure is unthinkable . . .
_____

Readers can't stop reading The Day of the Jackal . . .


***** 'I loved, loved, loved this book which is in a category that I don't usually read.'
***** 'A very remarkable and memorable thriller – while the other novels of this sort are usually forgotten too soon this book has stuck in my head for good.'
*****
'Still Amazing the Second Time Around - 5 Stars!'
***** 'This book is one of the best books in its genre. Haven't found a book which can be at par with The Day of the Jackal.'
***** 'This is, without question, the best thriller I have ever read.'
_____

More love for The Day of the Jackal . . .

'Very clever and immensely entertaining' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'A perfect example of the adventure story . . . well written, entirely believable, with this intriguing, enigmatic character at its centre' ROBERT HARRIS
'A year-zero, game-changing thriller, one of the most significant of all time' LEE CHILD
'Wonderful and way ahead of its time' JAMES PATTERSON
'An extraordinary book' NICK ROBINSON, BBC RADIO 4 TODAY PROGRAMME
'A masterpiece' MARCUS SCRIVEN, MAIL ON SUNDAY
'I was spellbound . . . riveted by this chilling story' GUARDIAN

About the author

Frederick Forsyth

Former RAF pilot and investigative journalist Frederick Forsyth defined the modern thriller when he wrote The Day of the Jackal, described by Lee Child as ‘the book that broke the mould’, with its lightning-paced storytelling, effortlessly cool reality and unique insider information. Since then, he has written thirteen novels which have been bestsellers around the world: The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, The Fourth Protocol, The Negotiator, The Deceiver, The Fist of God, Icon, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra, The Kill List and The Fox. He has also published an autobiography, The Outsider. He lives in Buckinghamshire, England.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more