Frederick Forsyth: The Cool, Detached Thriller

Bursting onto the Scene in 1971 with the brilliant "The Day of the Jackal", Frederick Forsyth brought a cool, journalistic detachment to the international thriller and novel of intrigue that had not been seen since Eric Ambler had been is his prime. This cool, detached view gave his work a verisimilitude and grounding in reality that set him apart from writers like Ludlum and Higgins, and paved the way for Ken Follett and Charles Cummings. It stood him in good stead through 15 novels, 2 collections, 6 novellas, and a memoir, as well as 3 Edgar Awards and A Diamond Dagger.