Is The Day of the Jackal based on a true story?

[MarisolLin]

Loved the thriller aspect of The Day of the Jackal, but was wondering—is it a true story or purely fiction? The realism made it feel like a real assassination plot.

 

[Lucky]

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth is a work of fiction, though it is set against real historical events. It imagines an assassination attempt on French President Charles de Gaulle. While inspired by actual political tensions in France during the 1960s, the character of the “Jackal” and the plot itself are fictional.