Russell Ash is best known as the creator and compiler of Top 10 of Everything (annual, 1989–) and related titles (Hamlyn, UK; Sterling, USA, and in various editions around the world). He has also written numerous books on art (principally 19th-century painters), popular reference (such as his annual Whitaker's World of Facts, A&C Black, UK; Firefly's World of Facts, Firefly, USA) and humour. Potty, Fartwell & Knob (Headline), a book of extraordinary but true names of British people, was a bestseller in its original hardback (2007) and enhanced paperback edition (2008).