Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.

A little bit of a silly book presenting 50 buckets which have appeared throughout history. The bucket is unchanged throughout 1000s of years and acts as an objective bystander

Not quite the usual 'you must visit this beautiful place before you die' bucket list, this is a quirky list of facts and phrases explained in a humourous way, but not necessarily factually correct. Even the explanation from where the term 'Bucket List' derived is an amusing take on the humble bucket. The explanations about the moon-landing rock sample bucket on the one side sound feasible, on the other completely bonkers. When describing Paul Revere's Bucket of False Teeth, readers are directed to The Dr Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland, which I promise you really does exist, but the warning that museum staff may 'pretend' not to know about it sums up the book - take the information with a pinch of salt, even if the places are real.
Illustrations are provided by Rory Walker for each mini chapter, making this a book to dip into for a bit of humour and ideal for that time you need to read out a 2 minute story in an informal get together.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A funny and informative read on buckets. I honestly did not think there could be so much content to be had out of buckets but I was pleased to be proved wrong. This is a nice and lighthearted read, perfected for all the bucket lovers out there. A great read.

An amusing book, just perfect for dipping into now and then. Would make a great gift.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb to this book enticed me and I thought this would be a humorous and funny change to what I would normally read. I was disappointed and struggled to finish reading about all 50 buckets. This book may just be aimed at trivia lovers.

Honestly, I wasn’t feeling this so much. A couple of the stories/anecdotes were interesting or funny but the majority were boring.

The bucket, so the introduction informs the reader, is a universally under appreciated item that has been present at most of the major points in world history. And so, the Ultimate Bucket List sets out to change our knowledge and enjoyment of the humble bucket.

The book is, actually, a list of 50 buckets to see before you die! Each listing comes complete with ‘historical’ background information, plus details of where in the world the bucket is current located. I’m not sure if there’s an order to the list, as it’s certainly not by dates, but somehow it all fits together nicely and works well. All the buckets have been well researched, with some very handy background information about each one.

A great book for anybody who wants to keep up to date with bucket trends through the ages!

What a completely ridiculous book! In all the very best ways.

This book was a refreshing look at fabricated history and our obsession with bucket lists - this is by far the most important book you will every read on the great buckets of history.

This book was a tonic, much needed in these stressful times.

I was not expecting such a humorous book.. I have to be honest and say that these little stories left me cold though. Perhaps funny trivia is not my ideal reading. The book was well paced and I can that as a coffee table book where you could read just one or two stories and then leave it for a week or so before browsing again.

‘Fifty buckets you should see before you die’ is an intriguing tagline and a funny take on the usual idea of a ‘bucket list’. I must admit I was really excited to start reading this short book that promised historical events from the perspective of famous buckets. Unfortunately the only thing I found funny about this book was its title!

I was expecting a sort of Horrible Histories style humour with this book – true stories intermingled with some funny narration and some new stories learnt about our history. What I got was an odd mix of made up dialogue and factually incorrect stories with the theme of buckets shoved in. Some stories were true and interesting, such as The Bromeswell Bucket or The Bucket of Blood, a pub which derived it’s name from dredging up a bucket of blood from a dead smuggler who had been hidden in their well.

Some stories were completely inaccurate such as the Moon Rock Sample Bucket, Cleopatra’s Bucket or Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Bucket. These stories seemed to just be there to hold a funny fictional story or amusing conversation from history using a bucket as the theme. However, I didn’t so much as crack a smile at these and unlike another reviewer who blamed not getting the British sense of humour – I’m from the UK!

Then we had some stories which had absolutely nothing to do with buckets, such as Charlie Bucket, in which the author went on an odd rant about the Soviet conspiracy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There was a story about Florence Nightingale, only held together by the theme by the fact that she was ‘The Lady of the Lamp’ and her friend ‘The Lady of the Bucket’ was lost to history. There was also a story about Taylor Swifts lost album called Bucket (completely untrue). These stories really ruined the book for me – if you’re going to make some entries interesting and factual then this has to apply to all of the entries otherwise it just ruins the credibility of the book!

Overall this book made no sense to me - why bother writing something half factual and half completely fictional to the point where the reader has to fact check every detail to see if any of it is true? Thank you to NetGalley & Icons Books for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.

Good fun! Lots of silly stories that made me laugh. History told from the bucket's point of view - worth a read BUT I read this as I would read a book and I found it hard to read one after the other - it would be better to pick up and read one at a time I think!

I sniggered, I laughed out loud, and I did a lot of Google searches. This book is great fun, at a time when we all need a silly, but historical fun fact.
I really didn't believe some of these stories, until I came across the New Zealand buckets, having witnessed them myself whilst on a cruise around the Islands a few years ago!
If you want a little lift in your life, try the Ultimate Bucket list

I was looking forward to a funny and clever take on the uses of the humble bucket over time.Human’s have used this item for millennia and I thought this was going to be a enjoyable read with wit and humour in great measure.Instead I have found this book a personal indulgence by the author.Things he has written seem to be part of an ‘in’ joke which I certainly am not part of.Some of the descriptions are just plain ridiculous and I certainly had to work hard to finish the book.I did not enjoy it at all and would definitely not recommend people wasting their time or money on this attempt at a witty book.

The title of this book caught my eye, I was instantly intrigued. This book is about 50 buckets that were present at great moments in History. After reading the first ‘bucket’ I was a bit confused. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I read the next one and the next one, enjoying each one in its own way. Dixie Wills captures each moment very well.
I like the short, amusing chapters, a coffee table or quick read, between other books. This could be a perfect gift for someone who may wish to tick off the buckets from the list.

A short amusing book about buckets in history - real and imaginary. Each short chapter relates to a tale about buckets i.e. the bucket used for carrying Cleopatra's asses milk for her bath. I downloaded it to the app. on my phone for those times when you have a few minutes to fill.

A light hearted attempt to place the humble bucket in various historical events .

An easy read, very funny in places.

A quick read

This is a genuinely funny book, a history of buckets in the same way 50 Sheds Of Grey was.
There are brilliant anecdotes and laugh out loud moments throughout. Some were belly achingly funny, I was giggling like a schoolgirl.
I hope the author does really well of the back of this, as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Frustratingly, there is enough evidence here (knowledge of van Gogh art and Paul Revere, a strong sense of a strong vocabulary) to imply this author is greatly intelligent. However, these fifty strident mini-essays about fictional buckets and the places where we can find them nowadays are not completely enjoyable. The introduction gives us a clue as to what we'll get – blatantly incorrect science, with some bucketry here and there. There is a sense of blagging one's way to print with these pages, and not solely because the best jokes (the one about ivory, the one about Hermes, and most of the Canadian entry) are not exactly about buckets. It's a shame, then, that the level of chutzpah thrown at the nonsense contents can make it all seem to read on one note. Not entirely beyond the pail, this felt like being too divisive a novelty read for it to get a clear recommendation – some times I was on board with the quirk, others I found it a little overdone.