Frederick Forsyth, author of The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File, whose former life as a spy and war reporter informed his meticulously researched and hugely successful thrillers that sold more than 75 million copies, has died aged 86.
An old style adventurer he sashayed from a teenage desire to be a matador into reporting for the BBC and Reuters from East Berlin at the height of the Cold War and Biafra during the civil war – and spying for MI6. By his early thirties, he was unemployed and heavily in debt so decided without much hope of success, to write a thriller. It took him 35 days to write, was turned down by four publishers but eventually sold millions.
He went on to write 29 novels, each taking 55 days to complete, producing 4,000 words a day. Editing was minimal and changes to the manuscript were few. He was married twice, the second time for thirty years.
He was born 25 August 1938 in Ashford, England, no birth time, the son of a rubber trader in Malaya, who lost his money and come home to England, where he married a furrier’s daughter.
He had a Virgo Sun and Mercury as befits a writer and a Leo/Virgo Moon. What fuelled his need for excitement and danger was Mars in Leo opposition Jupiter square Uranus opposition North Node. Mars Uranus is attracted to risk and high-adrenaline situations, as is his military-action Mars trine Saturn, while Mars Jupiter has more enthusiasm than common sense. His Saturn in self-reliant Aries was also on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile North Node.
His chart ties him into the spirit of the age with such an integrated North Node – making it more likely that his novels would hit the mark and become popular.
An unaspected Pluto may be what gave rise to his autobiography title The Outsider since he would tend to stand apart and isolate himself – and he would certainly need to develop ways of transforming his wilder, immature tendencies that permeated his early adult life. When he wrote The Day of the Jackal his Solar Arc Saturn (on yod) had moved to aspect his Uranus and afterwards square his Mars. When two key chart configurations collide by Solar Arc there is usually a life changing moment of several years His Solar Arc Pluto was also just over the conjunction to his Sun. The pressure on him to change his lifestyle was considerable.
The post Frederick Forsyth – an old style adventurer first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
