The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth Summary

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth is a political thriller following a professional assassin hired by the OAS to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. The novel tracks the unnamed English assassin's meticulous preparation for the audacious hit while French detective Claude Lebel races against time to stop him. Forsyth creates a tense cat-and-mouse game between the methodical killer and determined investigator.

The Day of the Jackal appeals to readers who enjoy political thrillers, espionage fiction, and meticulously plotted suspense novels. Fans of detailed procedural storytelling will appreciate Forsyth's methodical approach to both the assassination planning and investigation. The book suits readers interested in Cold War history, French politics, and character-driven thrillers where the journey matters more than the destination.

The Day of the Jackal remains worth reading as a masterclass in thriller writing and one of Frederick Forsyth's most acclaimed works since its 1971 publication. The novel's detailed, realistic approach to assassination planning and investigation creates sustained tension despite readers knowing de Gaulle survived historically. Its influence on the thriller genre and adaptation into successful films demonstrates its enduring cultural impact.

Frederick Forsyth published The Day of the Jackal in 1971, setting it during 1962-1963 when France granted Algeria independence. The novel draws from real historical events, including actual OAS assassination attempts on President Charles de Gaulle and the execution of OAS leader Jean Bastien-Thiry. This historical grounding gives Forsyth's fictional thriller remarkable authenticity and political depth.

The Jackal is an unnamed English professional assassin who accepts $500,000 from the OAS to kill Charles de Gaulle. He earns his codename by suggesting it himself during negotiations, referencing hunting after being asked for a codename. The assassin remains deliberately mysterious throughout—his true identity is never revealed, even after his death, making him one of literature's most enigmatic villains.

The Jackal's preparation involves obtaining a fake British passport using a deceased child's identity, commissioning a custom portable sniper rifle from a Belgian gunsmith, and acquiring forged French documents. He steals passports from an American student and Danish priest to create backup identities with matching disguises. Frederick Forsyth dedicates substantial narrative to these elaborate precautions, demonstrating the assassin's professionalism and meticulous planning.

Claude Lebel is the French police commissioner's deputy assigned to lead the investigation into the assassination plot against de Gaulle. Despite being granted special emergency powers, Lebel faces the challenge of working in secrecy while tracking an unknown assassin. His methodical detective work and determination ultimately save de Gaulle's life when he shoots the Jackal during the attempted assassination on Liberation Day.

The OAS (Organisation Armée Secrète) is a French militant paramilitary organization that hires the Jackal to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle. The group opposed de Gaulle's decision to grant Algeria independence in 1962 and consisted of die-hard French imperialists. After their own assassination attempts failed and leader Jean Bastien-Thiry was executed, the surviving OAS leaders hiding in Austria decided to hire an independent, unrecognizable foreign assassin.

The Day of the Jackal concludes on Liberation Day with the disguised assassin positioned in a Paris apartment overlooking the ceremony where de Gaulle will appear. As the Jackal fires his first shot—which misses when de Gaulle unexpectedly leans forward—Claude Lebel and a gendarme storm the room. The Jackal kills the policeman but is fatally shot by Lebel, and his body is buried in an unmarked grave with his true identity remaining forever unknown.

The Jackal kills a forger who attempts to blackmail him for more money after creating false documents. He later murders a middle-aged woman he seduced at a country hotel when she becomes a liability as Lebel closes in. Finally, he kills a middle-aged man whose apartment he used as a hideout after news of the woman's murder is broadcast. These killings demonstrate his ruthlessness and willingness to eliminate any threats to his mission.

The Day of the Jackal is fiction, though Frederick Forsyth based it on real historical events including actual OAS assassination attempts on Charles de Gaulle. The novel references the real execution of OAS leader Jean Bastien-Thiry after the failed 1962 assassination attempt. While the Jackal character is fictional, the 2024 Sky series revisited the "jackal" archetype, and the real-life terrorist Carlos the Jackal earned his nickname from a journalist referencing Forsyth's novel.

A security leak occurs when Colonel St. Clair, de Gaulle's personal military aide, unknowingly reveals classified investigation details to his mistress Denise. Denise is actually an OAS agent who passes this sensitive information to her contacts, who then relay it to the Jackal. This mole allows the assassin to stay one step ahead of Claude Lebel's investigation throughout most of the novel, despite his increasingly effective detective work.