Beginning as a voice on ABC radio, Ray Martin became a face familiar to most Australians. He reported from the United States for Four Corners in the 1960s and 1970s, was one of the original reporters on 60 Minutes from 1978, presented the Midday show from 1984 to 1993, and twice hosted A Current Affair (ACA). As he notes, he was the face of Channel 9 in the 1990s, also hosting Carols by Candlelight, election debates and assorted specials. But just in case anyone is in any doubt as to whom this book is about, Heinemann has plastered the cover with Ray: Stories of My Life: The Autobiography. Martin’s signature is added for good measure.

This is indeed a book of stories: about Martin’s life, and about the stories he himself presented on radio and television. ‘Yarns’ and ‘anecdotes’ are terms he sometimes prefers, as he tries to take the reader with him: ‘let me tell you’, and ‘let me set the scene for you’, he implores us on several occasions.