No such contradiction in Forsyth’s case: the man behind the racy, edge-of-the-seat thrillers, meticulously researched and masterfully narrated, often starring charismatic characters, has led a life as extraordinary as some of his characters. Indeed, as this autobiography by the septuagenarian author reveals, this handsome haberdasher has led a life marked by moments of bone-chilling suspense, daredevilry, adventure, romance and intrigue across countries, cultures, continents! He’s the proverbial tinker-sailor-soldier-spy who incarnated variously—as precocious multilingual child prodigy/ star pupil, Royal Air Force pilot, intrepid BBC journalist, renegade ally of a Nigerian rebel leader during a civil war, MI5 listening post/ intelligence gatherer, carrier pigeon, Reuters stringer in Paris and in Communist East Germany, daredevil sports car driver, artful lover, husband, tireless traveller/ globetrotter and celebrity author.