Product Description

A uniquely intimate portrait of John F. Kennedy, Jr., from his closest friend

For twenty-five years, William Noonan and John F. Kennedy, Jr., were best friends. Sharing an adolescence in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, the two frequented beach bonfires and the Monday night yacht-club dances, took road trips, shared albums, sneaked cigarettes on the widow’s walk of John’s house, and scored beer together. And as they grew older, John and Billy never lost the connection they forged in the Kennedy compound as two young boys who had both tragically lost their fathers.

A humble and touching memoir, Forever Young uncovers the private John F. Kennedy, Jr., from the matchless vantage point of a longtime childhood friend. Forever Young is packed with never-revealed details of John and Carolyn Bessette’s courtship and wedding, the launch of George, John’s unusually close relationship with his mother Jackie, and the heartbreaking aftermath of the plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard that killed John, Carolyn, and Carolyn’s sister. Noonan also shares the more ribald episodes, including John’s many famous conquests, skirmishes with paparazzi, and his stint as People’s "Sexiest Man Alive." The definitive story of the son of Camelot, Forever Young is a touching and revelatory tribute to a friendship between two men—and a life cut devastatingly short.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #474666 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Though listeners will undoubtedly question Noonan's motive in penning this memoir-as well as his assertion that he and John F. Kennedy Jr. were best friends-Grupper's fluid, impartial delivery allows the material to speak for itself, resulting in an audio that is both easy to enjoy and easy to debate. Noonan has set out to debunk what he calls the "prince of Camelot myth" surrounding John. In its place, he draws a portrait of a flawed but intelligent individual who continually struggled under the weight of his legacy. Noonan's memoir is best at relaying anecdotes, such as the night Noonan tried to take on the paparazzi after John's 18th birthday bash, earning him the tabloid title of John's "beefy buddy." The audio isn't all fond memories, however, and at times something akin to bitterness creeps into Noonan's narrative. Though this may cause some listeners to tune out, most will take these moments-which Grupper wisely doesn't dramatize or downplay-in stride and enjoy the glimpse Noonan provides of the son of the Camelot myth.
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About the Author
William Sylvester Noonan is a graduate of Boston College.

Robert Huber is a senior editor at Philadelphia Magazine and recently completed his first novel, Finding Carol.

From AudioFile
This account of JFK, Jr.'s, short life could not be more engaging. The issues of class privilege and its burdens, as much as the Kennedy lineage, are portrayed with casual sophistication and an ear for universal narratives. An insider's biography, it has riveting stories that reveal Kennedy's humanitarian heart as well as his recklessness. The author has a nuanced grasp of what John and his sister, Caroline, faced as they navigated a complicated web of friends and critics, and dealt constantly with their celebrity and the weight of everyone's expectations. Adam Grupper is a marvelous interpreter of Kennedy's story--understated but not dull, and conveying a tone that perfectly evokes Billy Noonan talking at various stages of his relationship with the departed icon. T.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Forever Boring
I was anticipating loving this book. I am an Irish Catholic, from Boston, and a fan of the Kennedy legacy. Forever Young does not tell you anything new. The author is a megalomaniac and it comes through loud and clear in his writing. He credits his father and himself for many things that occur in JFK's and JFK Jr.'s lives. Another reviewer wrote how they were appalled about the way William Noonan treated his mother. I could not agree more. This review seems to be more about the author than the book about JFK Jr. That seems fitting, since the book is really more about Billy Noonan than the person you are interested in learning more about, JFK Jr.

With friends like this...
Poor John Jr must be turning in his grave with all these "best friends"
making a buck off him! What really distrubed me about BillyNoonan is the cruel way he refused to let his mother go to Caroline Kennedy's wedding!
It was the dream of his mother's life to hang out with Jackie but even though BillyNoonan had an extra ticket he refused to let her go! What a jerk!If I ever did anything that hateful to my mother believe me I would never write about it!
And what purpose does it serve to tell about John Jr bragging about bedding Madonna? Enough already! Hopefully this will be the last of the John Jr tell all we'll have to endure! Let him rest in peace!

Boring, Screams, "I'M THE REAL BEST FRIEND", and Poorly Written
Carol Radziwill's book was a tribute to her husband, and wonderfully and warmly written. The mentions of John and Carolyn were in context of their relationship, and truly showed their personalities. The retelling of John singing a boyhood song to Anthony brought tears to my eyes.
This book is full of sentence fragments, and the details and descriptions are often difficult to follow. There are stories here that serve no purpose than to "show how important Noonan is, otherwise how would he know they just "had at it"?"
I usually read a memoir in one sitting, I had to force my way through this one, and still ended up feeling Noonan was a hanger-on-er.