The Top 10: Index Entries

This list is a specialised segment of the market, even for me, as Agnes Frimston pointed out. I blame Sean O’Grady, who suggested it and who nominated the first one.

1. “Baldwin, Rt Hon Stanley ... confesses putting party before country.” In Winston Churchill, Memoirs of the Second World War (condensed version of his six-volume history of the war).

2. “Brown, John, Queen Victoria’s ghillie: a Scotch Li Lien-ying?; a eunuch? if not, why not?.” Hugh Trevor-Roper, Hermit of Peking: The Hidden Life of Sir Edmund Backhouse (an oriental scholar and confidence trickster). Nominated by Richard Bartholomew.

3. “Ramsey, Michael … personal characteristics: huge laugh; humour at solemn moments; sing-song voice; mobile eyebrows; silences; shyness; especially with titled; hesitations in speech (yes-yes); but; hum; absent-mindedness; naturally meditative…” Owen Chadwick, Michael Ramsey: A Life (biography of the Archbishop of Canterbury, 1961-74). Also from Richard Bartholomew.

4. “Agriculture: country life, dullness of … Alcohol: consumption of.” James O’Connor, A History of Ireland, 1798-1924. Nominated by Michael O’Connor.

5. “Belief APPEARS ON LIKE EVERY PAGE.” Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Imagination, edited by Amy Kind. “Never ask an overworked grad student to sort out your index,” commented Academia Obscura. Via Tom Joyce.

6. “Marcos, Imelda Romualdez: bulletproof brassiere.” Sterling Seagrave, The Marcos Dynasty. Thanks to the Saturday Gallery.

7. “Wilson, Harold (now Lord): similarities to Margaret Thatcher.” Ben Pimlott, Harold Wilson. Another from the Saturday Gallery.

8. “Heath, Edward: leans nonchalantly on an Italian deep-freeze; stacks books on his chairs to stop Thatcher sitting down; stares at Thatcher with undisguised hatred; unconvincing attempts to look cuddly.” Dominic Sandbrook, Seasons in the Sun (a history of the late Seventies). Nominated by Jonathan Law.

9. “Palin, Michael: fails to eat a piece of cheese; fails to eat some pickled onions; fails to have his car mended; fails to write a novel; thinks it is cold; thinks it is hot.” Dominic Sandbrook, Seasons in the Sun, again. Thanks to Jonathan Law, again.

10. “Clark, Alan: … kills heron…” Alan Clark, Diaries. He shot a heron that had been taking the carp, nishikoi and other exotic fish from his moat. “I was already sobbing as I went back up the steps: ‘Sodding fish, why should I kill that beautiful creature just for the sodding fish…’” Thanks to Graham Kirby.

Next week: Scottish words. Starting with dreich, glaicket and shilpit.

Coming soon: We’ve done the worst, now for the Best Autobiography Titles, starting with Stalin Ate My Homework, by Alexei Sayle.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk