The Day of the Jackal

First edition cover
Author	Frederick Forsyth
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre(s)	Spy, Thriller, Historical novel
Publisher	Hutchinson
Released	7 June 1971
Media Type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	358 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-09-107390-1 (first edition, hardback)

The Day of the Jackal
orignal film poster
Directed by	Fred Zinnemann
Produced by	John Woolf
Written by	Frederick Forsyth (novel) Kenneth Ross
Starring	Edward Fox Michael Lonsdale Alan Badel Cyril Cusack Derek Jacobi Delphine Seyrig Michel Auclair
Music by	Georges Delerue
Cinematography	Jean Tournier
Editing by	Ralph Kemplen
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	May 16, 1973 (New York City, New York)
Running time	145 min
Language	English / Italian / French
IMDb profile

The Day of the Jackal is a thriller novel by Frederick Forsyth, first published in 1971, about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French terrorist group of the early 1960s, to kill Charles de Gaulle. The book was filmed in 1973 by Fred Zinnemann, starring Edward Fox in the title role. Like the novel, the film was praised for its depiction of 1963 France. Image File history File links FrederickForsyth_TheDayOfTheJackal. ... Frederick Forsyth. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The spy fiction genre (sometimes called political thriller) first arose just before the First World War, at about the same time, the first organized intelligence agencies were being formed. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television that includes numerous, often-overlapping sub-genres. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ... Hutchinson is a book publisher, and is a division of Random House. ... A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) book is bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth or heavy paper) and a stitched spine. ... Paperback may refer to a kind of book binding by which papers are simply folded without cloth or leather and bound - usually with glue rather than stitches or staples - into a thick paper cover; or to a book with this type of binding. ... Image File history File links Day_of_the_jackal_ver1. ... Fred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907—March 14, 1997) was a noted film director. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sir John Woolf and James Woolf of Romulus Films. ... Frederick Forsyth. ... Kenneth Ross is an Australian playwright and screenwriter best known for writing the 1980 play Breaker Morant, based on the life of Australian soldier Harry Breaker Morant and later adapted into a film by the same name. ... Edward Fox (born 13 April 1937) is an English stage, film and television actor. ... Michael Lonsdale (born May 24, 1931 in Paris) is a French actor perhaps best known for his role as Sir Hugo Drax in the 1979 James Bond film, Moonraker. ... Alan Badel (1923-1982) The barnstorming actor Alan Badel was born in Rusholme, Lancashire on 10 September 1923. ... Cyril Cusack (November 26, 1910 — October 7, 1993) was an Irish actor. ... Sir Derek Jacobi plays Gracchus in Gladiator. ... Delphine Seyrig (April 10, 1932 - October 15, 1990) was a stage and film actress and a film director. ... Michel Auclair (September 14, 1922 - January 7, 1978 (born Vladimir Vujovic in Koblenz, Germany), was a French actor. ... Georges Delerue Georges Delerue (March 12, 1925 Roubaix - 20 March 1992 Los Angeles) was a renowned French film composer who composed over 500 scores for cinema and television. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... // Events The Marx Brothers Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television that includes numerous, often-overlapping sub-genres. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ... Frederick Forsyth. ... The Organisation de larmée secrète (OAS; Secret Army Organization) was a short-lived French right-wing terrorist group formed in January 1961 to resist the granting of independence to the French colony of Algeria (Algérie française). ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ) (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970), in France commonly referred to as Général de Gaulle, was a French military leader and statesman. ... // Events The Marx Brothers Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. ... Fred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907—March 14, 1997) was a noted film director. ... Edward Fox (born 13 April 1937) is an English stage, film and television actor. ...

The novel is a well-respected work in the genre of "spy fiction", praised for its convincing portrayal of France in 1963, and its carefully thought-out plot. It received blazing reviews and praise when it was first published in 1971, and it received a 1972 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Novel. It is also notable for remarkably effective suspense considering the Jackal's target is a real historical figure who was not assassinated, and also its chilling realism, which can be frighteningly related to the real world. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars), named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America. ... The Mystery Writers of America are an organization for mystery writers. ...

While the OAS did exist as described in the novel and the film opens with a remarkably accurate re-enactment of the Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry-led attempt on de Gaulle's life, most of the remaining plot is fictional. The storyline follows the efforts of an extremely professional hired assassin (hired by an exiled OAS high command) in his preparations to assassinate de Gaulle, the efforts of an equally professional but rather hard-pressed French detective assigned to identify and stop him, along with elements of intrigue and bureaucratic maneuvering at the highest levels of the French government. General de Gaulle at upper left, Bastien-Thiry at upper right Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry (October 19, 1927 – March 11, 1963) was a French military air weaponry engineer and the last who attempted to assassinate President of France Charles de Gaulle. ...

Plot

In the first part, "Anatomy of a Plot", the reasons and motive for the assassination are described. The Jackal has his first and only meeting with three OAS leaders and discusses the price of the kill. The rest of the part describes how the Jackal gathers information on Charles de Gaulle while in England, and describes the weapon he is planning to use. Little information is given about what he is going to do, however. The Jackal also sets up his false identities and disguises by forging and stealing documents.

The second part, "Anatomy of a Manhunt", shows how French Intelligence finds out about the plan and assigns Claude Lebel, a French detective (Michael Lonsdale), the task of preventing the assassination while the ministers discuss whether or not to inform de Gaulle (who is notoriously careless of his personal safety) about the plan. Michael Lonsdale (born May 24, 1931 in Paris) is a French actor perhaps best known for his role as Sir Hugo Drax in the 1979 James Bond film, Moonraker. ...

Pressured by his superiors, Lebel does everything he can to discover the Jackal's identity. He gets in touch with all his foreign contacts to inquire if they have any records on such a man. He is finally given the name of a suspect, Charles Harold Calthrop, from British Intelligence.

The French police get close to the Jackal a few times, working out both names of false passports, but he manages to evade capture. The Jackal's OAS informant leaks information from the French government to the Jackal, allowing him to remain one step ahead of the police.

In the last part, "Anatomy of a Kill", Lebel realises that there is one day drawing near on which de Gaulle will insist on making a scheduled public appearance: Liberation Day, on the 25th of August, commemorating the liberation of Paris during World War II. Despite police safeguards, the Jackal manages to make his way into Paris. He first kills a woman, then a man, who had befriended him on separate occasions.

As the Liberation Day celebrations begin, the French police are more alert than ever. The Jackal, disguised as a war veteran, makes his way to a building which faces the plaza where de Gaulle will present veterans with medals. He positions himself, readies his small, custom-made sniper rifle, and aims at de Gaulle.

However, the Jackal fails to take into account the Gallic custom of kissing on both cheeks, expecting instead that de Gaulle will shake hands with the medal recipient. As the Jackal fires, de Gaulle simultaneously moves forward to kiss the recipient on the cheeks, causing the bullet to miss.

Lebel, meanwhile, enquiring at the checkpoints, surmises that the war veteran with the aluminium crutch is actually the Jackal. He and a CRS officer (Philippe Léotard) rush up to the apartment. In the climax, the Jackal manages to kill the CRS officer with his rifle, but is gunned down by Lebel with the officer's MAT-49 submachine-gun. A CRS officier in normal gear, standing by a Bastille Day parade The Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (Republican Security Companies, CRS) are the riot control forces and general reserve of the French National Police. ... The MAT-49 was a firearm developed by French arms factory Manufacture Nationale dArmes de Tulle (MAT) for use by the French Army. ...

With the appearance of the real Charles Calthrop, it becomes apparent that no one knows who the Jackal really was. The British authorities deny any possibility of the Jackal being a British citizen, so the funeral is classified as that of "an unknown foreign tourist, killed in a car accident," with only Claude Lebel in attendance. "The Day of The Jackal was over."

Trivia

• A copy of the Hebrew translation of The Day of the Jackal was found in possession of Yigal Amir, the extreme-right militant who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on November 4, 1995. As published in the Israeli press at the time, police investigators believed that the assassination was partially inspired by the book, and that Amir used it as a kind of "how to" manual.

• Real-life terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez was nicknamed "Carlos the Jackal" by the press in reference to the novel, which was found in what was assumed to be his bag (but wasn't). Nevertheless, the nickname stuck.

• The procedure of identity theft detailed in the book is often referred to as the "Day of the Jackal technique", and has been exploited in many real crimes.

• In the 1973 film version, the Jackal is shown to be the same assassin who killed Rafael Leónidas Trujillo before attempting to murder Charles de Gaulle.

Hebrew redirects here. ... Yigal Amir Yigal Amir (Hebrew: יגאל עמיר) (born May 23, 1970) is the Israeli assassin of the Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin. ... (Hebrew: יִצְחָק רָבִּין), (March 1, 1922 – November 4, 1995) was an Israeli politician and general. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (born October 12, 1949) is a former terrorist, mercenary, professional revolutionary and playboy currently serving a life sentence in France. ... Identity theft occurs when someone wrongfully acquires or uses another persons personal data, typically for their own financial gain. ... Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina (October 24, 1891–May 30, 1961) was dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until 1961, occupying the office of President of the Republic (1930–1938, 1942–1952). ... Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ) (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970), in France commonly referred to as Général de Gaulle, was a French military leader and statesman. ...

See also

• Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry
• Citroën DS
• The Jackal (fictional character)

General de Gaulle at upper left, Bastien-Thiry at upper right Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry (October 19, 1927 – March 11, 1963) was a French military air weaponry engineer and the last who attempted to assassinate President of France Charles de Gaulle. ... 1974 Citroën DS23 Pallas Directional headlight detail of a Citroën DS21 Swedish-spec Citroën DS with headlight wipers US-spec 1969 Citroën DS with exposed headlights Citroën DS Break - also known as the Safari, Familiale, or Wagon 1966 Citroën DS 1966 Citroën DS... The Jackal is the main character in the fictional book The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, which features a storyline centered on a professional assassination attempt on Charles de Gaulles life in the summer of 1963. ...

External link

• The Day of the Jackal at the Internet Movie Database