The Men We Became - by Robert T Littell (Paperback)

About the Book

An intimate look at the life of John F. Kennedy Jr. from his early days at Brown to his tragic death by his closet friend for twenty years.

Book Synopsis

An up-close-and-personal look at the life of JFK Jr., from a twenty-year friend who was part of John's secret wedding to Carolyn Bessette and, three years later, a pallbearer at his funeral.

"A heartfelt memoir that seeks to honor his friend and defend his friend's wife." ―USA Today

For over twenty years Robert Littell was John F. Kennedy Jr.'s closest confidant. Now, in a beautiful and moving memoir, Littell introduces us to the private John. A story of laughter and sorrow, joy and heartbreak, The Men We Became is an unforgettable memoir.

Rob Littell was a freshman at Brown when he met the young JFK, Jr. during orientation week. Although Littell came from a privileged background, it was worlds apart from the glamorous life of the son of the late President and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Eager to be accepted on his own terms, Kennedy admired Littell's irreverence toward his celebrity and they became close friends.

John opened up to Littell on a very personal level, revealing the complex and sometimes tense nature of his relationships with his sister and cousins, as well as his mother's extraordinary influence on John - and how they both worked to keep it from being overbearing. John's marriage had its ups and downs and Carolyn had made enemies of some of his friends, but she was in great shape mentally and physically and they were planning to have children.

Littell recounts wonderful dinners at Jacqueline Onassis's apartment where she surprised him with his favorite dinner of specially burned hamburgers and weekends at her retreat in Martha's Vineyard where she critiqued their touch football while lying on a chaise lounge, her face covered in cold cream and cucumber slices. As students, Littell and Kennedy bummed around Europe. They slept in Hyde Park, sampled the pleasures of Amsterdam, ran afoul of customs officers and almost got busted at the Ritz Hotel for smoking pot. They even shared apartments in New York City until Jackie summoned them to dinner one day and gently suggested it was time to grow up. The two went on to pursue their professional lives. John trained as a lawyer - and Littell speaks of his friend's anguish at repeatedly failing the bar - and then he founded his own political magazine, which seemed only fitting because Kennedy yearned to live up to the family name and accepted that politics would be his destiny. Later on, Littell was a part of JFK, Jr.'s secret wedding to Carolyn Bessette on Cumberland Island, Georgia, and three years later a pallbearer at his funeral.

From shared adventures, private moments and lasting memories, Robert Littell offers a unique look at John F. Kennedy Jr.'s life - one that has never been seen before.

From the Back Cover

Rob Littell was a freshman at Brown when he met JFK, Jr. Although Littell came from a privileged background, it was worlds apart from the glamorous life of the son of the late President and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.Eager to be accepted on his own terms, Kennedy responded to Littell's irreverence toward his celebrity and they became close friends.
Littell recounts dinners at Jacqueline Onassis's apartment-where she surprised him with his favorite of specially burned hamburger-and weekends at her retreat inMartha'sVineyard, where she critiqued their touch football. As students, Littell and Kennedy bummed around Europe. Later, they shared apartments in New York. Later still, Littell was part of John's secret wedding to Carolyn Bessette on Cumberland Island, Georgia and three years later a pallbearer at his funeral.This is an intimate, detailed and affectionate memoir of an unusual young man by a close friend.

Review Quotes

"The Men We Became is a heartfelt memoir that seeks to honor his friend and defend his friend's wife. It conveys the lasting love that can exist between boys who grow into men together." --USA Today

"An exciting dose of nostalgia... sweet, heartfelt." --Publishers Weekly

"A must read!" --The Boston Herald

About the Author

Robert Littell graduated from Brown University in 1984 and worked as an investment advisor until the year 2000. He is currently writing and fundraising for Take the Fields, a private/public partnership that restores athletic facilities at New York City public schools.