The rise and 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.
Authoritative and acutely readable ... Warrick acknowledges his many predecessors. He persuasively notes, fighting through the cliché, that new information has come to light.
Reconstructs the Jackal’s life in a surprisingly dispassionate way. A great deal of new material is presented, but it’s used merely to flesh out a life rather than to draw judgment. The final verdict is instead left to the reader. The prose is at times a bit purple, but this is still a fast-paced, easy read. I nevertheless felt soiled by Carlos; perhaps I’ve grown immune to the charm of malignant narcissists.
