Frederick McCarthy Forsyth, (born 25 August 1938) is an English author, journalist, spy, and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers 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.

Forsyth's works frequently appear on best-sellers lists and more than a dozen of his titles have been adapted to film. He has sold more than 70 million books in total.