Frederick McCarthy Forsyth is an English novelist and journalist. He is renowned for his thrilling novels such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra, and The Kill List. Many of his works frequently appear on best-sellers lists, and more than a dozen have been adapted into films. By 2006, he had sold over 70 million books in more than 30 languages.

Born in Ashford, Kent, Forsyth is the son of a furrier. He was educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. At the age of 19, he became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force, serving from 1956 to 1958. Forsyth later pursued a career in journalism, joining Reuters in 1961 and the BBC in 1965 as an assistant diplomatic correspondent.