The Day of the Jackal

Frederick Forsyth

Illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi

Introduced by Ken Follett

A striking Folio collector’s edition of Frederick Forsyth’s electrifying political thriller, The Day of the Jackal, introduced by Ken Follett and illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi.

£60.00
£60.00
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‘It influenced every subsequent thriller writer, including me.’
  1. Ken Follett, from the introduction

When the French authorities discover a militant plot to assassinate President de Gaulle, a deadly game of cat-and-mouse begins between the assassin and the detective brought in to track him down. Commissaire Lebel’s hunt takes him ever deeper into a treacherous underworld, while his quarry remains one step ahead and the Jackal’s day of bloodshed grows ever nearer. The book design elevates the action with Tatsuro Kiuchi’s superb integrated illustrations weaving amongst the narrative to evoke the clock-ticking tension of Frederick Forsyth’s thriller: a man stands blindfolded and tied to a stake in a courtyard; a car snakes through the angular landscape of the Alpes Maritimes; a melon resembling a human head hangs from a tree, in the sights of a sniper’s rifle. Published in 1971 to rave reviews, The Day of the Jackal inspired a generation of writers, including Ken Follett, who introduces our edition.

Bound in paper 

Set in Haarlemmer with Verkehr display 

408 pages 

15 integrated black & white illustrations 

Printed in Italy

9½˝ x 6¼˝

‘In a class by itself. Unputdownable.’
  1. The Sunday Times

From the opening scene in which the Jackal’s predecessor meets his demise, to the manhunt that pits the Jackal against Commissaire Claude Lebel, Forsyth writes with such precision that the novel feels like non-fiction. In fact, aside from the initial, historical attempt on de Gaulle’s life, the plot is invented, its remarkable authenticity deriving from Forsyth’s experience as a reporter on the Biafran War. The method of obtaining a false passport described in the book is even known, to this day, as Day of the Jackal fraud. As Ken Follett writes in his introduction: ‘every page is believable’. This, and the author’s masterful control of tempo, makes for a riveting novel in which the suspense ratchets up right to the end. Forsyth’s exacting portrayal of an underworld filled with inscrutable faces and ingenious manoeuvres is perfectly portrayed by Tatsuro Kiuchi who, alongside his stunning integrated illustrations, has produced a striking binding and pictorial slipcase.

About Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth is the author of 16 novels and short story collections. At the age of nineteen he became the youngest pilot in the Royal Air Force, but ultimately decided to pursue a career in journalism. In 1967 he was sent to report on the Nigerian Civil War for the BBC. He eventually covered the conflict as a freelancer, publishing his controversial account, The Biafra Story, in 1969. His first novel followed in 1971, The Day of the Jackal, for which he drew on his experience as a Reuters reporter in France. The novel won the Edgar Allan Poe Award and became an international best-seller. In 1973 it was made into a major film. Frederick Forsyth was awarded a CBE in 1997, and lives in Buckinghamshire.

About Tatsuro Kiuchi

Tatsuro Kiuchi was born in Tokyo in 1966. A biology major and graduate of the International Christian University in Tokyo, he made the switch to an art career after graduating with distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Tatsuro began illustrating children’s books with several publishers in the United States and Japan, eventually branching out into editorial work for magazines, book-jacket illustrations and advertising commissions. Tatsuro is a member of the Tokyo Illustrators Society, and teaches illustration at Aoyamajuku.

About Ken Follett

Ken Follett was born in Cardiff in 1949, the son of a tax inspector. He first hit the bestseller lists in 1978 with Eye of the Needle, a tense spy story set during the Second World War. In 1989, The Pillars of the Earth marked a radical change; a novel about building a cathedral in the Middle Ages, it sold more than nineteen million copies in many languages, making Follett one of the world’s best-loved novelists. His most recent project was the Century trilogy: three historical novels that tell the story of the twentieth century through the eyes of five families. 

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