The Jackal or Carlo Shannon: Which is your fave Frederick Forsyth character?

Recently writer and former spy Frederick Forsyth said he is done writing thrillers as he “ran out of things to say”. The Brit has sold over 70 million copies of his books. A look at some of his most enduring characters.

1. Carlo Shannon from The Dogs of War (1974)
Profession: Anglo Irish mercenary soldier, formerly a Royal Marine
In reel: Christopher Walken in 1980
Shannon is famously remembered as the perfect anti-hero. A ruthless mercenary, living by his own bizarre set of principles, he ends up doing the right thing.


The Dog of War novel. (Image: Flipkart)

Fun fact: The title of the novel and subsequently its eponymous film is sourced from a line in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act III), “Cry, ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war.”

2. Peter Miller from The Odessa File (1972)
Profession: A freelance crime reporter
In reel: Jon Voight in 1974
Miller’s systematic approach while unravelling the story and the sheer grit exhibited by the character while taking on the establishment is praiseworthy.


The fictionalised portrayal of Roschmann in the story led to his arrest, escape and death in 1977. (Image: Flipkart)

Fun fact: The novel and later the film were responsible for the exposure of Eduard Roschmann, ‘Butcher of Riga’, who was the commandant of the Riga of ghetto. The fictionalised portrayal of Roschmann in the story led to his arrest, escape and death in 1977.

3. The Jackal from The Day of the Jackal (1971)
Profession: Assassin
In reel: Edward Fox in 1971.
Bruce Willis in 1997.
Though he is the chief antagonist of the novel, The Jackal is a smooth and sophisticated operator. A skilled killer, he can famously kill with his bare hands. Little is known about him, shrouding the character in mystery. The character’s real name is never mentioned in the book. He uses a code name for every mission and changes his appearance multiple times throughout.

Fun fact: The method described to acquire a UK passport and a false identity by Forsyth in the book became a widely-known security loophole in the UK, before it was rectified in 2007. The fraud came to be known as ‘Day of the Jackal fraud’.

4. Mike Martin from The Afghan (2006)
Profession: A retired SAS soldier
In reel: No adaption yet
Martin’s background and his stupendous mission to go undercover to infi ltrate the Al-Qaeda apart, his final act of self-sacrifice to stop an attack on the transatlantic ocean liner on which the G8 summit was being held, make him memorable.

Fun fact: In an interview Forsyth said that a version of the Mike Martin exists in real life. He said, “Everything that happened to Mike Martin inside Afghanistan had happened to this guy. Even being attacked on an open mountainside by a helicopter gunship.”

5. John Preston from The Fourth Protocol (1984)
Profession: ex-Parachute
Regiment soldier who turns into an MI5 officer
In reel: Michael Caine in 1987
Fighting corruption and sabotage within MI5, Preston’s character is a study in fighting for what you believe in.

Fun fact: Forsyth said he narrowly avoided telling the readers how to exactly trigger a nuclear weapon in the book.