No Comebacks was the first short story collection that introduced me to the dark side of society in a way that felt incredibly real. I was a teenager when I came across an audiobook (read by Frank Muller) from Recorded Books.

I was riveted to these stories of people who--more often than not--get themselves into strange predicaments and have to resort to violence or the like to get out. Often the stories end with a twist on the level of O. Henry (except more dire, of course) where we learn something new about the character(s) that Forsyth had previously held back from us.

I have yet to read any of Forsyth's novels but I keep going back to this collection time and time again, enjoying them as much as the first time (perhaps more now that I am older and can identify with them more).

I've read this book many years back and recently I read it again. "No Comebacks" is a real great book. Every story has its' own impression. Amazingly every story gives one common impression of a real fix, i.e. No Comebacks. There Are Some Days, There are No Snakes.. and of course No Comeback are really very good stories. The beauty of the book is that there are soft crimes & no violence. This is probably one of the best work of Forsyth !

I read this book a long time ago. "No Comebacks", the story with the same title is the most remembered story by me, out of all them and it is enough for a guarantee that the rest of the stories will also be good. So get your hands on the book and start off.

En el mundo de los espías y de la mafia vemos como el más leve error nos puede llevar al fracaso, en el libro existe amor, intriga, espionaje y lo más importante de todo es que uno no se aburre mientras lo lee, es una obra en la que no se sabe si es verdad o mentira, y... nunca se sabrá.

Forsyth nos entrega una historia muy entretenida, entretejida a traves de Europa y Africa, mostrandonos los entretelones de las guerras africanas y las experiencias de los mercenarios. Este clasico de la literatura de espias revive continuamente en versiones filmicas y de television. Imperdible

Mr. Forsyth in this book became the voice of millions of suffering Biafrans whose sin was a determination to exist against all odds.

His analysis captured the brutality of the Nigerian soldiers while the rest of the world fell victim to the deceit of the pronouncements of the Commander of the Nigerian Armed Forces...General Yakubu Gowon.

Forsyth is known for his later works the "Day of the Jackal", "Odessa File" and "Dogs of War". This though is his first book and in many ways superior to the rest.

A non-fiction detailed description of the Biafran war, Forsyth pulls no punches describing the valiant but fruitless fight by the Ibo tribe to secede from Nigeria. Outnumbered, outgunned and out financed by the central government, the Ibo finally fell because of the support of the European powers for Nigeria.

Forsyth does a wonderful job in giving us a journalist eye view of the conflict which eventually became known more for the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Ibo. A long forgotten classic that has never been outdone by his later novels.

This is the best collection of shortstories related to flying in the market. It is a fantastic collection of stories from authors such as Frederick Forsyth, Len Deighton, Edgar Allen Poe, Capt. W. E. James, etc. You should definitely read this book

Fredererick Forsyth llega en este libro al más alto nivel de dificultad narrativa, en ocasiones pasa entre seis hilos conductores pero con la maestria de los mejores escritores de suspenso. Si te gustan las sorpresas narrativas y la proligidad en los detalles de la intriga política y espionaje este es tu libro.

This book is the best book about the Nigerian civil war written.

It is very detailed with a very complet information about the activities of the diferent aircraft in this war. It give information about the aerial operations of both parties but the book is focusing in the biafran side.

I recomend this book to all people interested in the african conflicts and especially in the air war.

This book could serve as the master template for future books on air warfare and its associated civil aviation involvement. When reading and looking at this book I was immediately wondering which other conflicts should be devoted a book like this: the 1960s conflicts in Zaire/Congo, the Libyan arm airlift in the 70s, the Vietnam War (Air America/World etc.), etc. The quality of the information and the photographs are outstanding. A definite "to buy" book.

Forsyth does an excellent job in this book. He understands that it is necessary to examine closely the social, political, and tribal underpinnings in the conglomeration known as Nigeria, in order to fully understand the Biafran secession in context. Without being polemical he systematically examines these areas and offers compelling reasons for the war, instead of automatically resorting to specious Marxist or other dogmatic reasoning. The Nigerian Civil War was an important and tragic event, and Forsyth does a thorough and careful job of explaining it to us.

I am an avid reader of Christian fiction. This book was listed as such so I purchased it. Well, the story was excellent. It kept you on the edge of you seat until the end. However, when I finished the book, I realized that it is a Mystery/Suspense novel not a Christian/Fiction novel. There is no mention of God, church or the Bible in this novel. It is an enjoyable short story, but if anyone is expecting Christian fiction, pick another book!

I first became aware of this gem after I was given a now out-of-print audiobook of the same. I acquired the book in hardback shortly thereafter. As others have observed, the masterpiece stands quite on its own as a darn good yarn. Forsyth goes further, however. The entire story is littered with tempting religous allegory. Consider, for example, flight Lt. Marks, Old Joe, along with the now abandoned storage depot with many rooms, and all of it occuring on Christmas Eve. However, none of it is spoon fed, and a number of dots left to the reader to connect. Originally written as a Christmas present for his wife, it is most certainly a gift for us as well.

It's Christmas Eve 1957, and an English pilot is flying his single-seat fighter from Germany, on his way home for Christmas. But when the electrical circuits fail, he is suddenly on his own in a lonely sky, unable to contact the men below who alone can guide him home through the foggy skies. With fuel running out, radio contact gone, and navigation impossible, and when it seems that he's destined to ditch only to freeze to death in a deserted sea, a miraculous saviour appears. A World War 2 style plane appears out of the gloom, and its brave pilot "shepherds" the helpless flyer down through the frosty night sky towards safety. Will he succeed? And why does the airport seem deserted? And who is the mysterious shepherd?

Although "The Shepherd" is a very short novel that can easily be read in under an hour, it doesn't hinder Forsyth from capturing your attention. He cleverly heightens the intensity of the action and suspense by using the first person point of view. The stricken pilot's fears and bewilderment quickly become your own, until they are resolved in a spine-chilling last-page climax that raises as many questions as it answers.

The gripping plot is marred only by a few incidences of blasphemy. But the paperback edition is beautifully enhanced by Lou Feck's full-page black and white illustrations. "The Shepherd" may be a departure from Forsyth's usual fare in that it is a short and sweet Christmas story that exploits the season's fondness for supernatural miracles. But it lacks none of his trademark spine-tingling suspense. Unlike the pilot, it will be a while before you come back down to earth after reading this one!

The Devil's Alternative is one of the finest thrillers ever written. In my opinion it ranks with The Negotiator as the best novels by Forsyth. What makes this book great is the realism. Forsyth knows his stuff, and has done a perfect job of researching the Halls of Power on both sides of the ocean. His depiction of the Soviet Politburo in action is one of the best representations in all of fiction. His use of technology (the tanker, etc.) is well done, with no inaccuracies. [Although it should be noted that the largest oil tanker in the world is the Jahre Viking, which is half the size of the Freya in the book] The characters, unlike most other thrillers, are not your everyday stock characters. Forsyth gives them a personality. The ending of this multi-layered thriller is also a gem, and no other author could have written such a perfect book.

5-stars ! This is the only rating possible for the best-ever Forsyth book! THe plot is incredible, the action well distributed, the characters full of passion and convictions (although today Ucrania is already free!)As an international thriller, it is perfect !

I was so surprised at this book.. I bought it for curiosity, because it really amazes me (as a member of the post-Cold War generation) how terrified people were. It turned out to be an amazing, complex story, and even I didn't predict the ending. I've really never seen anything like Forsyth's work. (The best part is that I read this for school credit in 8th grade.. for once, a book I didn't hate.) I had to reread several times, not for confusion but for the brilliance of the dialogue. It's a shame Forsyth has given up suspense, but I wish him well.

This book is brilliant. I chose to read it after we got it for homework in school. I read a few thrillers and mystery. But this book is on my list of top five books.

It's about an assassin whose codename is the Jackal. He is hired to kill the French president de Gaulle. You follow him when he brilliantly plans the murder. You see how he thinks, how he choose the perfect weapon, gets false passports etc. You end up liking him and whish him good luck, while you sometimes might want him to fail. How does Forsyth do that?

We meet many other characters through the reading, about fifty. Even if they are too many in a book of over 300 pages, it is not quite hard to follow the plot. Who are then the main characters? Well, the Jackal is one of course. The villain is the Jackal, but who is the hero? Is it Lebel, Rolland or Thomas? In a strange way, you find that the plot is the real main character. All things that happen in the book is just analyze of the attempt of murder on de Gaulle. Everything that happens is important and manipulates the ending of the story. This makes the story very complex and brilliant. You won't waste your time reading 150 pages with nothing happening. Every page is important.

Read it, or you'll regret it.

I will very soon see the both versions of the movie.

Day of the Jackal is not just Frederick Forsyth's best book; it's the best book in it's genre. A political killer code-named "The Jackal" is hired to assassinate Charles De Gaulle, president of France. He is the best, not appearing on any police file. But through one small twist of fate, the French authorities learn of this plot, and set Claude Lebel, their best detective to find The Jackal. From there, the race is on, and Forsyth gives the reader front-row seats. He has created a sizzling rivalry between the cold-blooded assassin and the one policeman talented enough to stop him, and the suspense never lets up. Through deception, betrayal, and luck, Lebel tracks the killer throughout Europe, ending in the climactic assassination attempt itself. Based on true events, the obvious outcome doesn't take away from the thrill of the chase. This is the book that set the standard for others to try and follow

What can I add to 69 other reviewers? Simply this; I first read the book 25 years ago, and I still regularly take it back down off the shelves and dip into some part that jogs my memory, and enjoy savouring the detail afresh, as with a great piece of classical music or a Jane Austen novel. I am not normally a reader of thrillers; but this is equally much a great detective story and a mind game, and the writing style and the language are also superb, as is the evocation of the French setting. It starts quite slowly but accelerates all the way to the end. It is fascinating to compare it with the great 1973 film (NOT the Bruce Willis version). Scenes from the film like the final assassination attempt create an even more vivid picture in the mind as you read the book again. On the other hand, the detail of the planning, or the moment of Lebel's realisation of how the Jackal has got a gun through the apparently impregnable police screen, or seeing how all the different threads of the storyline fit together, can only be captured in the book. Every word and every nuance count at the climactic moments. Read the book, then see the film, then read the book again. It may not be as pacy as some modern all-action thrillers, but it is never contrived and virtually every bit rings true.