Penguin Books Australia

Robert Macklin was born in Brisbane and after a stint jackarooing in Western Queensland began his journalistic career at the Courier-Mail. He worked in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery for The Age and in 1967 joined Sir John McEwen as Press Secretary. Shortly afterward Prime Minister Harold Holt drowned and McEwen became Prime Minister. He later joined The Canberra Times where he was associate editor until 2002.

He is the author of the political novel, The Paper Castle (1977), and Fire in the Blood - the epic tale of Frank Gardiner and Australia's other bushrangers (2005); as well as non-fiction works, 100 Great Australians (1981), The Secret Life of Jesus (1990), War Babies (2005) and Jacka VC - Australian Hero (2006). With Peter Thompson he has written The Battle of Brisbane (2000), Kill The Tiger (2002), Keep Off the Skyline (2004) and The Man Who Died Twice - the life and adventures of Morrison of Peking (2004).

He lives in Canberra where he divides his time between writing books, films and television.