Jim Haynes is the bestselling author of more than 30 books as well as an entertainer, historian, songwriter and verse-writer. His wildly popular books include Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags; Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia; Great Australian Scams, Cons and Rorts and The Big Book of Australian Yarns among many others. He currently presents three Australian history segments a week on Sydney Radio Station 2GB. Haynes was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2016 'for service to the performing arts as an entertainer, author, broadcaster and historian'. His most recent book is Great Australian Odysseys (2025).