Forever Young: My Friendship with John F. Kennedy, Jr. [NOOK Book]

Close but no cigar...

I found this book interesting, entertaining and even funny, yet I felt it was incomplete in several of it's analyses of Billy's relationship with John Kennedy. For example, Billy's description of that last weekend when John left him alone was not complete, what did you leave out Billy? There was much more to that story than you let on and perhaps it was in the original draft, but then it was cut for one reason or another. It did not make any sense. I do agree with Mr. Noonan's description of Carolyn Bessette that in the end she was not right for John. She was quite a manipulator of men and not was not all what met the eye. I believe she planned that relationship for years, keeping it in the back of her mind, and when the opportunity struck she would be ready. I believe she fooled them all. However, both Noonan and Robert Littell 'John's other friend who wrote a book' do their best to defend their friendships with John, and why they felt they had to justify that to the world shows insecurity on both of their parts Obviously it was sport for other contemporaries to taunt them both about their friendship with John. Billy is very defensive and portrays himself as John's much needed protector. A convenient role for his entry into the good life. Rob Littell was just happy to be there. I imagine Billy needed to be handled with kid gloves in any relationship. One more thing, while I found Carolyn Bessette a beauty in her youth, both of these men 'married' wrote descriptions about Carolyn that was disrespectful to their spouses. I do want to say I did enjoy reading the book and I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in the Kennedy's or for additional insight into Carolyn Bessette.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great read

I would have given this five stars had it actually contained the '16 pages of color photos' as described in the book detail. In fact there were NO PHOTOS - only the cover photo. Other than that annoyance the book was great and a nice read containing a lot of interesting inside stories.

Highly Recommended

Very interesting and entertaining account of Billy Noonan's friendship with John Kennedy Jr. I felt it was written so effectively you felt like you were standing there when it was all taking place. Billy's conflicts with Carolyn were also very understandable, given his close relationship with John. A great first person account for anyone interested in learning more about the life of America's Prince.

Methinks Thou Dost Protest Too Much

Billy seems to have needed at least once every page of his ghost-written memoir to convince us that he was a member of the Kennedy inner circle, and his protestations of how close he was to John all seem so self-serving. Perhaps he was trying to convince himself. I found the book as a whole to be sophomoric.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

William Sylvester Noonan's claim that he was JFK's 'best friend'--which he makes over and over again--rings false to me. I suspect the author is trying to convince himself that he played a more important role in John's life than he really did. Bill Noonan did himself no favors by writing this book. He comes across as an insecure, self-righteous jerk. Numerous examples from the 200+ pages of the book abound: The author barred his own mother from attending Caroline Kennedy's wedding reception!! He broke up with his first fiancée because she (a non-Catholic) didn't understand his faith. (But he knew she didn't share his faith, and if this was so important to him, I can't help wondering why he proposed to her in the first place.) He stopped speaking to John--his supposed 'best friend' of 25+ years--shortly before John's death because John left him alone one afternoon (huh??). He repeatedly badmouths Carolyn Bessette and has absolutely no sympathy for a young woman from a middle-class background who married into the Kennedy family and whose every move was stalked by the paparazzi. Near the end of the book, after their rift, he calls John 'selfish' and says that John 'acted like an asshole.' I think the author should look in the mirror and examine his own selfish behavior and selfish motives for writing this book. Who needs a 'best friend' like this??? I gave the book 2 stars because the writing is good and the writer manages to gets to the essence of John--who, despite his fame and money, was really just an ordinary guy. However, I work in the publishing field, and I'm certain that Noonan's coauthor--Robert Huber--really did the actual writing, not Noonan.

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