Day of Jackal author's own life was a thriller

Frederick Forsyth - fighter pilot, spy and ace newsman - has died at 86

- BY SIOBHAN MCNALLY

THE world's greatest thriller writer Frederick Forsyth CBE has died after a brief illness aged 86.

He was surrounded by his family as he died at home in Buckinghamshire, UK, yesterday morning, his literary agents Curtis Brown announced.

The former MI6 agent, who was one of the youngest ever RAF pilots and a former BBC journalist, published more than 25 spy books including The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Dogs of War.

He famously said, "Almost all great fortunes are based upon one cracking good idea and the guts to go with it."

And indeed his meticulously plotted thrillers, which involved nuclear weapons, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the cocaine trade and Islamic terrorism, sold over 75 million books around the world. At least 15 were made into films, and won him many honours including a CBE in 1997 and the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger award.

AGENT