The Day My Friend Freddie Forsyth Revealed to Me the Real-Life Jackal
Freddie Forsyth, as he was known to his friends and acquaintances, shared with me the story of the man who inspired his fictional assassin in The Day Of The Jackal.
We met at his local Buckinghamshire pub, The Jolly Cricketers, in 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of his bestselling book about an attempt on the life of French President General Charles de Gaulle.
According to Freddie, he met the man who inspired the Jackal while covering the Biafran War in the late 1960s.
As mentioned in his memoir, The Outsider, Freddie had encountered many mercenaries during his time reporting on Nigeria's civil war, but only grew to like a few, including Alec, a Scot, Johnny Erasmus from Rhodesia, and Armand from Paris.
Freddie said he met the man while covering the Biafran War in the late 1960s.
Author's summary: Freddie Forsyth reveals the real-life inspiration for the Jackal.