Forever Young: My Friendship with John F. Kennedy, JR.

by William Sylvester Noonan

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670038105
• ISBN13: 9780670038107
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Forever Arrogant

Even though I liked Billy Noonan's book, at times he came across as very arrogant "I was John's confident, I was John's best friend, etc. as if he was John's hero and savior. The reader also gets the impression that the Kennedy's feelings and his loyalty were more important to him than his own family, especially when it came to his mother. Almost as if he was embarrassed to have his mother meet Jackie or go to Caroline's wedding reception which he refused to let her go to. Maybe he did not want to share the limelight with his family. Given that John had alot of respect for Jackie as his mother, that is not something that I would have put in the book or brag about. Other friends have wrote about John also saying they were his best friend too. I'm sure it was a privilige to be a friend of John's and he probably had alot of them since he had that charisma and charm that made him so likeable and "real". On a lighter note, I did enjoy the book and the writer made you feel as if you were right there watching everything unfold. One other thing in this book, everyone seemed to call him Billy Noonan in the book, not just "Billy" I found that odd!

John would be pleased

I am not sure what motivated some reviewers to write such hate-filled reviews of such a warm, thoughtful story that John surely is smiling upon. Mr. Noonan told his story in a respectful and honest manner and steered clear of the "tabloid" stories that, unfortunately, many wish for. This is a story about friendship and it is easy to see that Mr. Noonan is a great friend. I'm sure there were many "hangers-on" and "star f*cker" types that wouldn't leave John alone. Noonan was not one of these and I'm sure John considered it refreshing and considered himself fortunate to have a peer in his life who truly cared about him and respected him and his family when numerous people were looking to make themselves look better by saying they were John's friend. Great read! Well done Mr. Noonan! A perfect title for a touching tribute.

Great Reading

I Love the books written by JFK JR friends because it gives you a more honest picture of a person then a myth.It makes the person more real.This book actually had me laughing at times.

Subtle telling of a friendship

I loved this book. I have purchased books written by Richard Blow and Michael Bergin, friends of JFK Jnr and his wife Caroline, after their deaths. This one was superior to both, in that Noonan subtly and proudly tells of his long friendship with JFK Jnr. The way they came to be friends is told realistically and numerous photos are supplied as proof. As a big Jackie O fan, I was surprised to read of the author's telling of encounters with her, and there were many. It makes Jackie more real and writes of her in her role solely as a mother to John and puts a first hand perspective on her fame in NY after the death of the President. The books by Blow and Bergin lack this as they never met Jackie. The test for me was how Noonan would tell of the drug use by Carolyn and the marital troubles at the time of their deaths. I was pleased to see Noonan dealt with the matter with as much sensitivity as he could, while being truthful about the fact that Carolyn Bessette could not deal with the overwhelming celebrity and all that came with it, of being married to John. As we all know their wedding was a huge secret and the only time I have read about the whole affair from the engagement to the honeymoon was in this book. Only a handful of people were invited to the wedding or even knew about it and the author was one. It leaves potential purchasers of this book in no doubt that they will have a first hand insight into John's life. The author lost his father young, as did John, so there was a bond there for life. The author is also realistic about JFK's foibles, ie being late etc. Caroline Kennedy is barely touched on in this book, the author did not have a lot of dealings with John's sister from the content of the book. Buy this book if you are a Jackie O fan or just admired JFK Jnr. The only negative about this book was the constant references to the shared Irishness of the families, but it is only an irritation. I thank Noonan for writing the book, I could not put it down. The negative reviews on this site show that those reviewers didnt "get it".

An Exceptional Man

I've never been a JFK detractor or big fan but have always admired the way JFK, Jr. carried himself. This book confirms that what the public saw in the brief moments was really exactly what he appeared to be, a well grounded, bright, loyal, compassionate man who valued his privacy but could live with the attention maybe better than anyone thus far. Written by one of John's longest friend, Billy Noonan describes how they met on the Cape and how they lived their lives. Billy spent a great deal of time with Jackie also and gives a great perspective of her life and his respect for her. In addition, Billy lost a father at 13 and had this in common with Jr. This book is nothing more than a tale of two Baby Boomers living in a glorious period in America. But when one of the "normal" individuals is JFK, Jr., it takes on an entirely different perspective. The incidents that happened due to this fame are interesting to read as he relays his fascination and JFK, Jr.'s frustration dealing with the problem. Unfortunately, Carolyn Bessette was not equipped to deal with this intrusion into a normal life. I remember the incident where JFK poured water on a paparazzi on the Cape intruding on Carolyn and how he later came out and talked with the photographer attempting to apologize or at least ask for space. This is what is conveyed in this book. A compassionate individual who understood much more than the world will ever know. Always willing to help others in the world and as relayed by Noonan, a deeper understanding of the world problems brought out in their debates where Noonan took on a more conservative approach. I haven't voted Democratic and encourage you to not let your politics influence your decision to read this book. JFK Jr. is as close as this country will ever have to royalty and this book confirms what I've always felt, he wears the crown well.