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Table of Contents
About The Book
The spectacular rise and dramatic fall of super-assassin Carlos the Jackal—one of history’s most infamous terrorist masterminds and the inspiration for numerous celebrated works of pop culture—told with new revelations from the Jackal himself, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Black Flags.
A black-bereted, gun-slinging avatar of one of the most turbulent eras in global politics, Carlos the Jackal burst onto the world stage in 1975 as the first true celebrity terrorist and the TV-ready face of a violent Palestinian resistance movement that was then just beginning to gain traction. In a bloody career that would ultimately span three decades, Carlos innovated a new kind of spectacular terrorism, one that embraced hijackings, hostage crises, airport bombings, and international assassinations. And he personally masterminded one of the era’s most shocking crimes: the kidnapping for ransom of an entire conference of world oil ministers in Vienna. The polar opposite of most modern terrorists, Carlos prized large paychecks over ideology and styled himself as a swashbuckling lady’s man who, despite his charm, murdered his victims with callous disregard, often with his own hand.
Today, even from behind bars, Carlos can see his influence continue to reverberate. Through newly declassified archives, secret police files, long-repressed eyewitness accounts, and a rare interview with the Jackal himself, acclaimed journalist Joby Warrick reveals Carlos’ far-reaching legacy as a pioneer of borderless terrorist attacks designed for television.
During his twenty years on the run, the terrorist-for-hire would become a secret weapon used by autocrats to covertly attack their foes. In the process he helped transform how modern societies deal with a new kind of threat: a singular criminal mind that approaches terror with a professional’s devotion to craft.
A black-bereted, gun-slinging avatar of one of the most turbulent eras in global politics, Carlos the Jackal burst onto the world stage in 1975 as the first true celebrity terrorist and the TV-ready face of a violent Palestinian resistance movement that was then just beginning to gain traction. In a bloody career that would ultimately span three decades, Carlos innovated a new kind of spectacular terrorism, one that embraced hijackings, hostage crises, airport bombings, and international assassinations. And he personally masterminded one of the era’s most shocking crimes: the kidnapping for ransom of an entire conference of world oil ministers in Vienna. The polar opposite of most modern terrorists, Carlos prized large paychecks over ideology and styled himself as a swashbuckling lady’s man who, despite his charm, murdered his victims with callous disregard, often with his own hand.
Today, even from behind bars, Carlos can see his influence continue to reverberate. Through newly declassified archives, secret police files, long-repressed eyewitness accounts, and a rare interview with the Jackal himself, acclaimed journalist Joby Warrick reveals Carlos’ far-reaching legacy as a pioneer of borderless terrorist attacks designed for television.
During his twenty years on the run, the terrorist-for-hire would become a secret weapon used by autocrats to covertly attack their foes. In the process he helped transform how modern societies deal with a new kind of threat: a singular criminal mind that approaches terror with a professional’s devotion to craft.
About The Author
Photograph by Marvin Joseph
Joby Warrick is a bestselling author, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and national security correspondent for The Washington Post, where he has served for almost three decades. He has written extensively on topics ranging from Middle East conflicts and terrorism to nuclear proliferation. Warrick is the author of three previous works of narrative nonfiction, including the 2016 Pulitzer Prize winner Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. A native of North Carolina, he has two adult children and lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner (August 18, 2026)
- Length: 384 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668070574
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Raves and Reviews
“ASTONISHING. Joby Warrick has completely fleshed out this mysterious and lethal man, driven as much by vanity as any of the various causes he embraced, and succeeds like no one before in mapping the global underworld.”
—Mark Bowden, bestselling author of Black Hawk Down and Guests of the Ayatollah
“CAN’T-PUT-IT-DOWN THRILLER, ABSORBING PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY, METICULOUS DETECTIVE STORY, ILLUMINATING SAGA—Joby Warrick's brilliant Jackal does it all. Its final, haunting scene is one you’ll never forget.”
—David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of When Pride Still Mattered and Path Lit by Lightning
“THOROUGHLY IMMERSIVE—a page turner with just the right amount of historical context. As someone who was on the periphery of hunting Carlos, I can assure readers that there’s nary a false note. For those who wonder why terrorism ultimately fails, this is a must read.”
—Robert Baer, former CIA case officer and bestselling author of See No Evil and The Devil We Know
“SPECTACULAR. In The Jackal, Joby Warrick, one of the world’s most gifted journalists and vivid storytellers, immerses the reader in the dark web of international terrorism, shining a fascinating spotlight on one of its most infamous perpetrators…Warrick has written a book for the ages.”
—Martha Raddatz, Emmy Award-winning anchor for ABC News and author of The Hero Next Door
“A MASTERFUL PORTRAIT of a killer who ushered in the spectacle of modern terrorism. Get to know Carlos the Jackal in preparation for the emerging generation of new jackals, terrorists who are planning acts of devastating violence as you read this. There are lessons in the pages of The Jackal. Learn them before it’s too late.”
—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fourth Option
“BRIMS WITH AUTHENTICITY EVEN AS IT DELIVERS THE ROLLERCOASTER-LIKE RUSH OF A TAUT THRILLER. The Jackal is a riveting portrait of the larger-than-life man who invented the role of celebrity terrorist—and of the journalists, ideologues, spymasters, and dictators who helped elevate him to prominence. Not to be missed.”
—David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and bestselling author of London Station
“PROPULSIVE. The biography of a ‘criminal narcissist’ who made terrorism into a lethal art while also living the life of a louche playboy, gallivanting around the globe. A rattling good yarn and a sobering one.”
—Peter Bergen, bestselling author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad
"EXTRAORDINARY. In a globe-spanning quest, Warrick appears to have tracked down nearly everyone involved in the hunt for the notorious Carlos. Fans of spy-thrillers will be in absolute heaven knowing this is all true."
—Scott Anderson, bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East
“PULSATING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING, The Jackal is a meticulously reported page-turner from one of our finest chroniclers of terrorists and their pursuers.”
—Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Ghost Wars, Directorate S, and The Achilles Trap
Resources and Downloads
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Book Cover Image (jpg): The Jackal
eBook 9781668070574
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Author Photo (jpg): Joby Warrick Photograph by Marvin Joseph(0.1 MB)
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