Review of "Kings of Queens"

Happy Leap Day!  Given an extra day for the year, I took advantage and read a book on one of the most beloved teams in New York, the 1986 New York Mets. While several of the players on that team have written books or had books written about them, this one is a little different in that many players (and the widow of the late Gary Carter) were very open with the author to share their current adventures and memories of that season. It came together in an excellent book.  Here is my review of "Kings of Queens." 

Title/Author:

“Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with the ’86 Mets” by Erik Sherman

Tags:

Baseball, history, Mets

Publish date:

March 22, 2016

Length:

352 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The 1986 season was a magical one for the New York Mets. The team not only won the World Series that season, they also captured the heart of New York and many fans still have fond memories of the players on that team. Erik Sherman interviewed fourteen of the players on that team and also the widow of catcher Gary Carter, took the information and put it all together in this entertaining book on the lives of these players since that special year.

These are not the typical “where are they now” accounts of these players as they share with Sherman not only what they are doing now, but also memories of the season and the team. For example, a reader will learn not only that Kevin Mitchell believed he was traded from the Mets because he was allegedly a bad influence on the star players but also that the team doesn’t invite him back for any special events or celebrations.

These players were very open in their stories and opinions with Sherman and he wrote these in a breezy and conversational manner that readers will enjoy. It feels like the reader is sitting in on the conversation – whether it is Darryl Strawberry talking about his ministry, Lenny Dykstra telling the reader about being the most hated player in baseball in his entertaining style or Danny Heep quietly becoming a very successful college baseball coach.

Whether the reader wants to find out if the players from that team are succeeding now, what their favorite memories are of the 1986 season or just enjoy an easy and entertaining book, this is one that baseball fans - especially Mets fans – will want to add to the library.   

I wish to thank Berkley Press for providing a copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links (pre-order at time of posting):

http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Queens-Life-Beyond-Baseball/dp/0425281973/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456795916&sr=1-1&keywords=kings+of+queens

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kings-of-queens-erik-sherman/1122682821?ean=9780425281970