On the night of June 27, 1975, two French internal security agents named Raymond Dous and Jean Donatini arrived at 9 Rue Tollier in Paris, France along with Michel Moukharbal, a suspect being investigated by French police for attacks against the Israeli airline El Al at Paris-Orly Airport. Before the night was over, all three men were dead and a fourth serious wounded resulting in a manhunt issued by France for Ilich Ramírez Sánchez known to the world as “Carlos the Jackal“. Prior to reading the book I was familiar with his name and parts of his story but did not have the full account. I picked up this book which I saw in my list of recommendations and decided to make the purchase and step into the world of the Jackal.

From the beginning of the book it is apparent that the story will be anything but ordinary. Ramirez’s childhood is unusual and his father’s obsession with the Soviet Union and Vladimir Lenin (1871-1924) is strange considering the fact that the family resides in Venezuela. At home things are not well and his parents’ divorce when Carlos is a teenager proves to be a pivotal moment in his life. Eventually, his mother relocates with the children to Europe and this sets off a chain of events in his life that lead to him becoming one of the most wanted fugitives on the planet. When he gravitates towards Marxism at the Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow, there is no turning back as the Jackal begins to take shape and an usual story develops which sees him move through Europe and the Middle East leaving a trail of death and destruction.

If I had to choose one word to describe Ramirez’s life from this point on, that word would be chaos. Between fatherhood, a marriage, and alliances with Middle Eastern governments as an unofficial agent of terror, the book is a roller coaster ride of insanity. However, what is equally disturbing as the attacks he conducted with subordinates is the support he received from multiple countries. In 1970 he joined the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and remained steadfast in his support which inspired his radicalism. As part of his tool kit, he employed fake passports, fake identification, cash, safe houses, connections in high places and a long list of people willing to follow his every move. The story feels like a tale from Hollywood as the Jackal goes wild. The brazen raid in Vienna, Austria on December 21, 1975 at Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) headquarters is just one of the insane missions executed by the Jackal.

During his escapades he also finds love when he encounters Magdalena Kopp (1948-2015). Their story is equally surreal but their union did produce Ramirez’s second child. However, being the wife of a world-wide fugitive is not sustainable, and authorities are constantly on their heels. Slowly, the walls begin to close in and the fall out is unpredictable but the comeuppance for a life of crime. Kopp’s fate ironically in Paris, sets off a deadly series of actions by Carlos who is beginning to lose his grip on reality. Sadly, the collateral damage was high and only increased the pressure on French intelligence to capture him at all costs. Following the collapse of their marriage, Kopp makes another decision to relocate which is curious and proves that truth is stranger than fiction. As for Carlos, fate would not be as kind, and he continues to travel through the Middle East eventually finding refuge in Sudan. But it is here where his career concludes as French intelligence make good on their promise to apprehend him for the events in June 1975. His capture and extradition to France is climactic, but was it legal? The author lays out the facts of France’s actions for the reader to decide. But it does prove that when you are a wanted man, governments will not stop until they have you.

The trial in which Carlos is tried and convicted is discussed by the author, and although his life was on the line, Ramirez moves with a detached reality that is both odd and amusing. However, the deaths as a result of his actions are not and when justice is metered out, the story of Carlos the Jackal is over. He remains alive today but no longer able to live out his fantasy of a revolutionary playboy jetsetting across the planet and living the fast life. If you need a book about the life of Carlos the Jackal, this is a good place to start.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IQY3E64
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arcade; Reprint edition (July 1, 2011)