Amazingly read

This is by far the best narration of an audiobook I’ve ever heard!!! I will now be searching for books narrated by the narrator, as opposed to searching for books first.

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good read

it's a thriller , you can enjoy it. but too many French words makes it little difficult

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Absolutely fantastic

A true masterpiece if there ever was one. The narration brings alive the most masterful piece of Forsyth's body of work!

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Anatomy of a classic

Not for nothing this book is considered one of the best of Frederick Forsyth. Masterful blend of real history facts and personalities with imagined characters and surroundings. Keeps you on edge till the last moment even though the outcome of plot is very well known.

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Listening scores over reading and watching a film

The movie isn't half as exciting as the book and the book comes alive in this reading. The narrator is brilliant... but i must add here that the narrative is unbeatable. This book must rank as one of the best thrillers I've ever read, watched, and listened to as an audio book. - Arvind Passey - Blog: www.passey.info

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Absolutely fantastic

Cant stop once you've started this one... The performance was also brilliant with flawless accents..

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Perfect naration of a classic thriller

Its one of the best thriller written, with its little details, and edge of seat quality thrills. Story grips you from word go and doesn't let you of till the end. David Rintoul has narrated it a way you are mesmerized into world of 60s Europe and just go on this roller coaster ride till the end. Narration keeps you engaged with story. Audio book should have the narration and performance that keeps you attached with story. Its like oral tradition of our ancestors that have old tales and legends that circulate for generations.

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Anatomy of a Hit

Frederick Forsyth had served as a military pilot and a journalist before he tried his hand at writing a novel. His story started with an account of the real-world assassination attempt on French president Charles de Gaulle in 1962; and proceeded to narrate a fictional plot to finish the job by giving the contract to a British assassin: the titular Jackal. Forsyth finished writing it in 35 days. Remarkably, this manuscript was rejected by no less than four publishers. After all, what's interesting about reading the story of a hit on de Gaulle when, SPOILER ALERT, the real de Gaulle was still very much alive in 1970.

The answer to that question is Forsyth's unique masterful technique. His background as a soldier (and also possibly a spy) gave him detailed inside knowledge, the kind a regular novelist simply isn't privy to. His background in investigative journalism inspired him to approach the narrative as a research project. All of this infused the story with a level of verisimilitude not seen in a thriller, before or since, at least in my opinion.

The details is what draws you in. The Jackal makes a meticulous, layered plan... along with backup plans. The authorities inevitably learn of the plot and launch a manhunt to intercept him. The Jackal never loses his cool, even when forced to drastically improvise and veer away from his plan. All of this plays out in a tightly-written narrative that keeps you on the edge at all times. The pacing never feels slow, despite Forsyth describing even mundane things like the Jackal packing his suitcase in elaborate detail. It's like watching an enormous and beautiful Rube Goldberg machine with all its cogs and gears and levers falling into place one by one for thirteen glorious hours. It is one of the most fascinating stories I've ever come across.

This book was adapted into a movie of the same name in 1973. It was brilliantly produced and directed for the most part, and is held in high regard by both contemporary and modern critics. However, the screenplay is objectively inferior than the novel, which is the reason I wouldn't recommend it. Not to mention I didn't quite like Edward Fox's performance as the Jackal.

David Rintoul, the narrator of this audiobook, deserves credit for a job that couldn't have been easy. The narrative includes frequent mentions of names, places and phrases that are to be spoken in French and other European languages. Since I don't speak any of these languages, it's not my place to judge, but his confidence and diction gave me the feeling he was pretty accurate. A warning is warranted here for those unfamiliar with French: it is possible to lose track of the French names, especially early on. However, it is less of the problem once the Jackal is introduced and the actual story starts. Although it's definitely a disadvantage, exacerbated by the audio format, I'm refusing to take any stars off my rating because neither the author nor the narrator is to be blamed for this.

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2 people found this helpful

Amazing suspense thriller!!!

Loved it. I wish it concluded with the real identity of Jackal or at least, how he was related to Charles Calthrop at all.

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Gripping Thriller

This book is a fantastic listen. The author has knocked it out of the park when it comes to the cold and chilling details and the narrator with his deep voice and English accent added a whole different energy to the listen. The book will keep you guessing which side will prevail till the very end. However, the audiobook requires a bit of attention since the writing is to the point yet really descriptive. I often had to replay some bits when my attention waned.

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