A landmark political thriller by Frederick Forsyth that is widely regarded as one of the greatest suspense novels ever written.

Set in the early 1960s, the story begins when a French extremist organization hires a mysterious English assassin known only as the Jackal to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. The Jackal is a master of disguise, meticulous planning, and cold professionalism, making him nearly impossible to identify or stop.

As the assassin prepares for his mission, French authorities launch a desperate nationwide manhunt led by detective Claude Lebel. What follows is a tense cat-and-mouse game between one of the world's most dangerous killers and the investigators determined to prevent a political catastrophe.

Despite readers knowing the target from the beginning, Forsyth creates extraordinary suspense through detailed planning, intelligence work, and procedural realism. The novel helped define the modern political-thriller genre and remains a classic decades after its publication.