by Joby Warrick
First published 2026
Carlos the Jackal exploded into global consciousness in 1975 as terrorism's first media celebrity. Born Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, he became the gun-wielding face of Palestinian resistance during one of history's most volatile political periods. Over thirty years, Carlos pioneered a new form of spectacular violence that included hijackings, hostage situations, airport attacks, and targeted killings. His most audacious operation involved kidnapping an entire gathering of international oil ministers in Vienna for ransom. Unlike modern terrorists, Carlos lived as a hard-drinking playboy who seduced numerous women while personally executing victims without hesitation. Pulitzer Prize winner Joby Warrick draws on newly opened archives, confidential witness testimony, and a rare conversation with Carlos himself to expose the calculated mythology behind the man. The book reveals how this ideologically motivated figure carefully crafted both his public image and his lethal operations, showing the origins and key figures that shaped a major global conflict.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, terrorism, true-crime, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, gripping, meticulously-researched, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-investigation, rise-and-fall, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Vienna, Middle East, Palestine
Period: 1975, 20th century, Cold War
384 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder, violence