Frederick Forsyth Trivia

1. Which President of the United States features in this novel?

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Cobra"

Answer: Barack Obama

Although the president is not named, there are enough clues to his identity i.e. being raised by his grandmother and his father being Kenyan. He does not think about the international drug trade a lot, until a White House dinner in September 2010. That night one of the waitresses breaks down crying in front of the guests. The First Lady comforts her in the kitchen, and the old woman apologies; her grandson has just died from a drug overdose. The President gives the matter a lot of thought that night and comes to a decision. The next day he orders a report about the drug in question. Then he wants a recommendation about who to hire to eliminate this problem from the USA once and for all.

From Quiz The Works of Frederick Forsyth II

Answer: Sir Nigel Irvine

Although Frederick Forsyth's stories seldom connect to one another, this chap appears in several. Basically, his character was "recycled". In "The Fourth Protocol" he confronts a British traitor and makes him work for the SIS. In "Icon" he comes out of retirement to convince a former CIA agent to go back to Russia to stop a Hitler-wannabe coming to power.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Odessa File"

Answer: The Assassination of JFK

The story begins on November 22nd 1963. It takes place mainly in Germany, many miles away from Dallas and Texas. But at the time, the real-life tragedy effected people across the globe. In this story, freelance reporter Peter Miller hears the news on his car radio and pulls over to listen. As the book points out, if Kennedy hadn't died and Peter hadn't pulled over...the world (particularly the Middle East) could well be different today.

From Quiz Fredrick Forsyth Thrillers

Answer: The Icon

'The Icon' is based on the events after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and features a plot by a neo-Nazi movement to take control of the Soviet Union. The novel also features the return of the Tsar to rule Russia.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "The Fist of God"

Answer: The First Gulf War

When Frederick wrote this book in 1994 he naturally had no idea there would be a second Gulf war (let alone with another George Bush in the White House!).

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "The Day Of The Jackal"

Answer: General Charles de Gaulle

De Gaulle has been president of France since the end of World War Two. He died of natural causes in 1970, so we can assume all assassins were unsuccessful.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "Icon"

Answer: 1996

Frederick Forsyth received a lot of praise for this book at the time because - even though it was set three years in the future - it was eeriely like reading newspaper headlines!

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - 'The Dogs of War'

Answer: "Cat" Shannon

Carlo Alfred Thomas Shannon was always called "CAT", an acronym for his given names. He was Irish-born and England-raised. He spent some of his youth in Africa in harmless office employment until he decided being a solider for hire might be more interesting, and left one day.

From Quiz "The Deceiver" - Frederick Forsyth

Answer: Sam McCready

Gaunt is Sam's deputy who is desperately trying to make the bigwigs rethink sacking his boss. Edwards is the chairman of the hearing who privately doesn't expect the stories told at the hearing to change a single thing (not least because the dismissal order has already come straight down from the very top).

From Quiz "The Negotiator" by Frederick Forsyth

Answer: Quinn

We never learn Quinn's first name (in fact he'd had it erased from CIA records when he left the service). Lebel was the hero in "Day of the Jackal", McCready was the hero in "The Deceiver" and Peter Miller in "The Odessa File".

From Quiz The Works of Frederick Forsyth

Answer: Day of the Jackal

In 1973 it was made into a very enjoyable movie staring Edward Fox. There was also a remake made in 1998 starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere which I haven't seen yet.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's "The Shepherd"

Answer: Germany, 1957, Celle

It is the height of the Cold War when the unnamed RAF pilot narrates his flight home on Christmas Eve from the German air station of Celle. (1957 was the year of my birth, incidentally)

From Quiz Errors in Forsyth's 'Phantom of Manhattan'

Answer: Mme. Giry & Madame Giry & Giry & Antoinette Giry

I found this odd.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Cobra"

Answer: Both of these things

Paul Devereaux worked for the CIA in the Cold War and was promoted to Director in its aftermath. He is a very pious but emotionless man with no friends. He was nicknamed "The Cobra" by the CIA staff years ago, and the name stuck. He is the man recommended to The President to head the new project to smash an international drug trade. He decides to name the project after himself.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Devils Alternative"

Answer: There was no movie

Surprisingly, this excellent story has never been transferred to the silver screen. The actors mentioned starred in other Forsyth movies. Most of his other books have been turned into movies but not this one. Very odd.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Fourth Protocol"

Answer: Harold "Kim" Philby

In real life these four spies formed The Cambridge Five (named after the University where they all met). No one knows who number 5 was, but the book says it was a gentleman named Blake. Kim Philby is about to turn 75 and since Blake is his (only) friend (also living in Moscow as a defector), he throws Philby a party. In 1963 Philby was the last of the group to defect to Russia. He did the most damage as head of MI6, so his name is the most remembered today. In this story, he is bitter about his life in the Soviet Union. Even though he was treated like a hero, he has long since been disillusioned about communism and secretly wants to be forgiven and return to England. Fat chance.

From Quiz Fredrick Forsyth Thrillers

Answer: The Afghan

Mike Martin, the hero of 'The Fist of God', is seen again in the 'Afghan', when he tries to infiltrate the Al-Qaeda. At the end of book, Mike sacrifices his life to prevent a major terrorist attack.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "The Fist of God"

Answer: He looks and talks like an Arab

When Kuwait is invaded, Mike and his men are stationed elsewhere on the Arabian peninsula. When the British Secret Service learn about him, they request he be "lent" to them. They need someone for an undercover mission in Kuwait.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "The Day Of The Jackal"

Answer: No one

When the convoy of limousines driving de Gaulle, his wife and his ministers drive into the street where the terrorists are waiting, the closest thug has the sun in his eyes and doesn't see the cars in time. When their machine-guns fire at the cars and motorcycle escorts, no one is hurt. Despite the lack of fatalities, most of the conspirators are sentenced to death after being rounded up. But their leader Bastien-Thiry is convinced no French soldier would shoot him so he is smiling confidently when told his final appeal has been rejected. But, early the next morning, he is proven wrong...

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "Icon"

Answer: Igor Komarov

The fictitious Igor Komarov is head of the Union of Patriotic Forces (UPF), an alliance of all major right-wing parties in the former USSR. Russia is in such chaos at the time that most voters welcome the ruthless Komarov because he seems to be the only hope for the starving and broke country.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - 'The Dogs of War'

Answer: Platinum

An aerial survey of the neighbouring country inadvertently leads to the discovery of an entire mountain made of platinum. An unscrupulous and not-so-ethical London tycoon plans to get his company's hands on it. As the Crystal Mountain is located deep in the heartland of this country ruled by a penny-pinching tyrant, that may not be so easy.

From Quiz "The Negotiator" by Frederick Forsyth

Answer: The Sicilian Mafia

A wealthy Italian jeweller's daughter had been kidnapped by Sicilians. They held her for ransom and Quinn had negotiated her ransom price. But the little girl was accidentally killed in the crossfire between the bandits and some hired guns the father sent after Quinn (without telling him) to ensure the girl AND the money came home. Quinn blamed himself and resigned.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's "The Shepherd"

Answer: Vampire

What a name for a jet, especially around Christmas, huh? Falcon's a made-up name, the other two are from the two World Wars.

From Quiz Errors in Forsyth's 'Phantom of Manhattan'

Answer: Raoul

So how did Erik get it back? (The Persian was not in the musical. Firmin is not in this scene.)

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Cobra"

Answer: Cal Dexter - "The Avenger"

Although this book is called "Cobra", Cal Dexter features in it a lot more than The Cobra himself. It's fair to say he does a lot more work, too! Paul Devereaux asks Cal to be his deputy in project Cobra. In "The Avenger" Cal inadvertently foiled a CIA plot to the catch Osama Bin Laden, before the September 11 attacks. Of course Cal wasn't to know, but Devereaux was furious. Why after nearly ten years does Devereaux want Cal to be his deputy? When Cal asks this, Paul admits over the phone "Simple - you're the only man who ever out-witted me."

From Quiz The Works of Frederick Forsyth II

Answer: Their son is later rescued by the hero

Mr. and Mrs. Walker hurry back south to Riyadh when they hear Kuwait is being invaded up north. They fly back to America with hundreds of others. It turns out the invading army does not attack Saudi Arabia but they weren't to know. However their son Don is in the US Air Force so he is soon kissing his parents goodbye and flying off to war. One night, months later in February 1991, Don is shot down whilst searching for "The Fist of God", the Iraqi secret weapon. Luckily Mike Martin the protagonist was nearby and rescued him from an Iraqi patrol. Obviously Mike had no idea this boy's parents had seen him back in August!

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Odessa File"

Answer: His diary

After Peter finishes listening to the news about poor JFK he resumes his drive home. But then he sees an ambulance with sirens blaring and his reporter's instincts make him follow that instead. And he wouldn't have seen the ambulance if he had not pulled over for the JFK bulletin, would he? An old man, a survivor of the holocaust, has just (ironically) gassed himself. One of the attending police officers knows Peter and tells him it's sad, but not worth writing about. Having said that, he meets Peter a few days later and lends him the old man's diary, which he thinks "might make a human interest story".

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Devils Alternative"

Answer: Both

It starts in 1982 with the rescue of a dying castaway floating on the Black Sea. A year later, the poor man has long since recovered and is now part of an extremist plot to capture the world's attention. This book is unique because it is the first Forsyth story to be set in the future not the past (it was published in 1979).

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth's - "The Fourth Protocol"

Answer: 1987

Forsyth published this story in 1984. At the time, most of its events would have been very plausible. Especially the Russians wanting to throw Britain into chaos for their own ends - i.e. Gorbechev hadn't come to power yet.

From Quiz Frederick Forsyth - "The Day Of The Jackal"

Answer: Colonel Marc Rodin

Rodin is lying low in Austria when the news of the leader's execution comes onto the radio. He says something I cannot repeat and then contacts his two most trusted colleagues Casson and Montpellier, the treasurer and the underworld coordinator. All three men agree that with the OAS so tattered, broke and informant-riddled there is no point in organising any more assassination attempts. Unless... They hire someone OUTSIDE their organisation.

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