The Day of the Jackal, Signed by Frederick Forsyth, First American Edition in Original Dust Jacket, 1971

Forsyth, Frederick. The Day of the Jackal. New York: Viking Press, [1971]. First American edition. Signed and inscribed by Forsyth on the title page. Octavo, in the publisher's original boards and original illustrated dust jacket. With a new archival cloth slipcase. 

Presented is the first American edition of The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. This book was published in 1971 by Viking Press, New York. It is presented in its original boards and illustrated dust jacket. The book is signed and inscribed by the author on the title page in black ink. The inscription reads, "For Paul Keller,  with sincere regards,  Frederick Forsyth 15/9/98." 

The Day of the Jackal is a political thriller by British author Frederick Forsyth about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French dissident paramilitary organization, to kill the President of France, Charles de Gaulle. The book was based on a real assaination attempt of de Gaulle in 1962, although Forsyth’s version is fictional. The book was first published by the London-based Hutchinson Press in June of 1971, to widespread success and sales.

The book's quick unexpected success in Britain attracted the attention of Viking Press in New York, who acquired the US publication rights for $365,000. Just two months after its publication in the UK,  the Viking first edition , as seen here, was released in the US. The Viking first edition’s distinctive jacket was designed by noted American artist Paul Bacon.  In mid-October, it reached No. 1 on the New York Times "Best Seller List" for fiction and by mid-December 136,000 copies of Viking's US edition were already in print. The Day of the Jackal also received a 1972 Best Novel Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. 

The book was the source material for the 1973 film of the same title, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, and Derek Jacobi. The film received one Academy Award nomination, two Golden Globe nominations, and six BAFTA nominations, of which it won one. It was ultimately ranked the 74th greatest British film of the twentieth century by the British Film Institute. 

CONDITION:

Very good condition. Octavo. In the publisher's ½ gray cloth and red hardboards, with metallic red stamped titles to the spine. Minor edgewear, light dampstaining to lower board. Red endpapers. Top edge trimmed and stained red, other edges rough trimmed.  Internally, pages are clean and tight, with only light intermittent foxing. In the original illustrated dust jacket. Dust jacket unclipped ($7.95) with only minor edgewear and toning.  380 pages. Presented with a new, custom archival cloth slipcase, with an inlaid picture of the dust jacket design on the front.

Book Dimensions: 8 3/4" H x 6" W x 1 3/4" D

With Slipcase: 9" H x 6 1/2" W x 2" D




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