Is Frederick Forsyth the best author ever? I think so!?

Question

Especially The Dogs of War and The Day of The Jackal.Which do you think is his best book and why?

Answer 1

A clever writer of airport novel perhaps. Best ever author - no way. What about Dickens, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy?

Answer 2

I find the books you mention really excellent reads, full of suspense, good characterisation, couldn't wait to see what happened next but at the same time didn't want them to end. Real page-turners!
We knew how The Day of the Jackal ended before we began it and yet it was still full of suspense; I call that exceptionally good writing. However, the best author ever, well that's a tall order and the answer can only be subjective. So, I would say that as far as crime/thriller writers go, Frederick Forsyth is one of the best...

Answer 3

No, of course not, the Day of the Jackal is a pretty good thriller but it was down hill all the way as his extreme right wing paranoia got the better of him.

I still remember the sight of him on some chat show or other bellowing, "Where ever I go all over the world, people tell me that the British Army is the best in the world," and I had a horrible vision of him sidling up to people at parties abroad and asking them and them agreeing to get rid of him. I mean, what sort of conversation elicits that as a response?

Read some real books and you'll soon notice the difference.

Answer 4

Frederick Forsyth is quite a good writer of the spy/thriller genre but not in the same ball-park as Robert Ludlum for convoluted plots and time-lines.

If you would like to try something better than either in a different genre try Dorothy Dunnet's 'Lymond' seried of historical novels. These are not ladies' amorous novels, these are genuine, historically accurate thrillers with characters whom the author treats with little sympathy. These novels require a good vocabulary and fierce concentration, because little clues are scattered amongst snippets of conversation and throwaway observations, but repay the effort in spades.

If you can't see yourself reading historical fiction, because you're too macho, try Steven Erikson's 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' series. This is 'Lord of the Rings' meets 'Thomas Covenant' by way of Sven Hassel. Erikson's imagination and use of language are superb, again, the vocabularily challenged need not apply.

Answer 5

Frederick Forsyth is always a great read. "The Avenger" is my favorite because I loved the ending. Looking forward to "The Afghan" which will hit the stands in America The 22nd of August. I've read all his novels and buy them the day they come out and just start reading when I get home. I've never read one I didn't like.

For the fans this is from the Barnes and Nobel site.

From Our Editors
This espionage novel is ripped from the headlines. Drawing on real events connected with the July 2005 London subway bombing, The Afghan conjures up a pulse-raising tale of plots and counter-plots. When leaders of the United States and the United Kingdom uncover the outlines of a massive al Qaeda attack plan, they attempt a risky substitution: Colonel Mike Martin, a resourceful British operative, is sent into the Taliban hornet nest to ferret out the details of the terrorist assault.
From the Publisher
A chilling story of modern terrorism from the grandmaster of international intrigue.

Unabridged CDs - 8 CDs, 10 hours
From The Critics
Publishers Weekly
Set in the very near future, veteran Forsyth's latest isn't quite up to the level of The Day of the Jackal or his more recent Fist of God, but it's a cut above most other post-9/11 spy thrillers. The threat of a catastrophic assault on the West, discovered on a senior al-Qaeda member's computer, compels the leaders of the U.S. and the U.K. to attempt a desperate gambit-to substitute a seasoned British operative, Col. Mike Martin, for an Afghan Taliban commander being held prisoner at Guant namo Bay and then arrange Martin's release into Afghan custody. Martin must maintain his cover under the closest scrutiny, even as the details of the planned outrage are kept beyond his reach. Despite the choice to have Porter Goss as CIA director at the end of 2006 and some nick-of-time Hollywood heroics, Forsyth convincingly conjures up the world of counterterrorism and offers an all-too plausible terrorist plot. 250,000 printing. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
American and British intelligence services discover that al Qaeda is planning something major and horrific that will likely occur somewhere in the United States. However, since neither country has operatives on the inside, they have no idea what or where. Enter retired British army Col. Mike Martin, who first appeared in Forsyth's The Fist of God. Martin's job is to assume the identity of an imprisoned Taliban member and infiltrate al Qaeda. This is plausible because he is lean, dark-complexioned, of part-Indian descent, and was raised in Iran. Martin becomes the titular Afghan and begins a dangerous and frightening journey toward discovering what appalling act the terrorists are planning and putting a stop to it. Typical of Forsyth's work (e.g., The Day of the Jackal and Avenger), this is a tense story of technology vs. evil, the latter in this case a mind-numbing degree of fanaticism. Even though it starts slowly, it builds to an exciting climax that makes the read well worth it. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/06.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
The Forsyth Formula, al-Qaeda version: A sort of post-9/11 apocalyptic western, this thriller pits White Guys against Black Turbans, the daring forces of freedom versus the jihadi doers of evil. Should Hasbro ever decide it needs a new G.I. Joe, Mike Martin's their man. The latest action figure from the Forsyth franchise (Avenger, 2003, etc.), he's a craggy Scot summoned from a wee bit of rest and relaxation at his Hampshire retreat back into the endless global fray. The listening department of Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Center has, through cell-phone surveillance, unearthed a plot. One of Osama bin Laden's financiers has already, clutching his laptop, hurled himself from a balustrade to protect the plans. Hi-tech British cunning retrieves the info, which reveals schemes for "Al Isra," the biggest potential attack yet. To penetrate al-Qaeda, U.K./U.S. intelligence makes a mole of Martin, passing him off as Izmat Khan, ex-Taliban bigwig serving time in Gitmo. Mirror images of each other, the men are archetypal warriors, Khan a stoic Afghan outraged by the Russian invasion of his country and conned by desperation into bin Laden's service, Martin a 25-year veteran of killing missions-the Falklands, the Balkans, the Middle East. Plus, passing for Khan is easy for multilingual Martin, son of an oil-company executive stationed in Iraq. He even looks the part: "olive-skinned, black-haired and eyed, lean and very hard of physique." Martin's mission earns him martyrdom, but only after all kinds of derring-do involving a ship called The Countess of Richmond, characters screaming "Eject, eject!" and a cameo appearance by John Negroponte. Gun-club porn-packed with stodgily accurate descriptions ofweapons and acronymic slang. Hardly subtle, just bang-bang galore. First printing of 250,000

Answer 6

He is a good author.
But at the moment my favourite author is Kevin J. Anderson for his Saga of the Seven Suns trilogy! Read it!

Answer 7

Very good, but I enjoy Ken Follett (Follet? mm...) more, especially "Pillars of the Earth". Now THAT is a book to sink your teeth into! Happy reading. Sue xx

Answer 8

If you think that he is, then he is. Your perception of his "bestness" is entirely down to you. You set the standards that you want to have met and Freddy meets them all. I think Freddie is very good, but not the best - my definition of best is not the same as yours, but why should you listen to me? I've read most of his books and I am pleased to say that I enjoyed them all.

Answer 9

never heard of him I'm afraid. not much of a book person but the authors i read are Richard Laymon and Mary Higgins Clark i just think there books are ace

Answer 10

You MUST be Joking......cos only Jo King would think Freddy was the best writer ever........get back under your rock......and start reading real books!