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The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First Super-Terrorist by Joby Warrick

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Hardcover:

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.

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.

  • Publisher: Scribner

    Title: The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World’s First Super-Terrorist

    Author: Joby Warrick

    On Sale Date: August 18, 2026

    ISBN 13: 978-1668070550

    ISBN 10: 1668070553

    Format: Hardcover

    Retail Price: $30.00

    BISAC: Political Science / Terrorism; History / Israel

    Page Count: 384

    Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9 in

    Weight: 1.22 lb

  • Joby Warrick is a national security correspondent for The Washington Post and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, honored in 1996 for public service reporting and in 2016 for his book Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. A graduate of Temple University, he has covered the Middle East, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation for nearly three decades. The Jackal is his fourth book, following The Triple Agent, Black Flags, and Red Line.

  • Critics and fellow bestselling authors are calling it riveting, authoritative, and un-put-downable:

    • “Un-put-downable…Readers will be riveted.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    • “Authoritative and acutely readable.” — Dwight Garner, The New York Times

    • “Astonishing…succeeds like no one before in mapping the global underworld.” — Mark Bowden, bestselling author of Black Hawk Down

    • “A masterful portrait of a killer who ushered in the spectacle of modern terrorism.” — Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fourth Option

This book is for you if

  • You devour narrative nonfiction that reads like a spy thriller.

  • You want the definitive account of the world’s first celebrity terrorist.

  • You’re a fan of Warrick’s Pulitzer-winning Black Flags and want more of his reporting.

  • You’re fascinated by Cold War-era espionage, hijackings, and international manhunts.

  • You appreciate deeply sourced journalism built on declassified files and rare interviews.

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