After his six months were over, however, Forsyth - eager to carry on reporting - approached the BBC to ask if he could have more time there.

He was there for the first six months of 1967, but few expected the war to last very long considering the poor weaponry and preparation of the Biafrans when compared to the British-armed Nigerians. He had never been to Black Africa until reporting on the Nigerian Civil War between Biafra and Nigeria as a BBC correspondent. His early career was spent covering French affairs and the attempted assassination of Charles de Gaulle. He joined Reuters in 1961 and in 1965 the BBC, for which he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent.įorsyth reported on his early activities as a journalist. Career Military and journalism īefore becoming a journalist, Forsyth completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force as a pilot, for which he flew the de Havilland Vampire. He was educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada in Spain. The son of a furrier, Forsyth was born in Ashford, Kent.

By 2006, he had sold more than 70 million books in more than 30 languages. Forsyth's works frequently appear on best-sellers lists and more than a dozen of his titles have been adapted to film. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra and The Kill List. Frederick McCarthy Forsyth CBE (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist.

Day of the jackal author