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American Morning
Chronicling the Life of 'John & Caroline'
Aired July 16, 2001 - 10:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is hard to believe that it was two years ago today that the plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. John F. Kennedy Jr. lost his life, along with his wife, Caroline Bessette, and her sister, Lauren Bessette. There's a new book out chronicling the life of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his sister. It's called "John & Caroline." It is put together by biographer James Spada and he is our guest in our New York bureau.
James, good morning. Good to see you again.
JAMES SPADA, AUTHOR, "JOHN & CAROLINE": The same here, Daryn.
KAGAN: Why do we need another book on the Kennedys?
SPADA: Well, when John passed away I thought it was important that his life be recorded from beginning to end and I also wanted to include Caroline because, you know, they were America's children. They grew up together. They're very famous as brother and sister and I thought by including Caroline, it would give it a better dimension.
KAGAN: Was this book done with her blessing or the Kennedy family blessing?
SPADA: No, but I did have access to the files in the Kennedy Library. I was granted some access to some private files and the Kennedy Library is such a treasure trove of material for any researcher.
KAGAN: Well, the book is chock full of photos, so let's look at what some are considered to be your favorite photos, and maybe as they pop up on the screen I hope you can see, you can tell us where these pictures were taken and why they're some of your favorites.
SPADA: Well, this was taken at a tennis tournament in New York around 1978 and it just shows the affection and admiration that Caroline had for her brother.
KAGAN: And we'll just keep going right through them. This obviously at the White House.
SPADA: I love this shot. You know, here are these two kids just playing in their playground and there's that majestic symbol of the United States in the background. It was their home and also their playhouse in many ways.
KAGAN: We'll keep going.
SPADA: Here's a great shot of John trying to snatch away one of Caroline's dolls. A lot of pictures of him kind of being just a typical boy, you know? He got himself into a lot of trouble. But he was basically a good kid.
KAGAN: And speaking of that trouble and, actually, why don't you tell us what this was? This was Elvis' funeral?
SPADA: Yes. Caroline was hired by "Rolling Stone" magazine to cover Elvis Presley's funeral for them in 1978 and she actually had to leave very shortly thereafter because she was distracting everybody. So she kind of upstaged the king at his own funeral.
KAGAN: Sprinkled throughout this book are a number of photos of John F. Kennedy Jr. getting basically into physical trouble, not that he was a klutz, but he was a daredevil his entire life. Here it's with a broken arm. I believe that's the streets of New York City.
SPADA: Yes. Like many of the Kennedys, he was a very athletic man and he broke his foot power gliding shortly before his death. I guess that comes with the territory. I don't think it necessarily suggests that he was reckless. Just when you're physically active you might get injured once in a while.
KAGAN: Kind of eerie, though. It kind of foretells what his final fate would be.
SPADA: Yes, in a way. I mean, there are a lot of pictures of him flying in airplanes and he loved airplanes even as a little kid. He used to pretend to pilot Air Force One and the presidential helicopters when he was just a little boy.
KAGAN: And then finally there's one picture in the book that does kind of tell the story of Caroline Kennedy's life now, not that one, where she is just there by herself, or actually there's an empty seat.
SPADA: Yes.
KAGAN: She's at the 2000 Profile In Courage awards. There it is.
SPADA: Right. This was the first...
KAGAN: You can see her uncle a seat away.
SPADA: Right, and I just thought this picture was very evocative because that's the chair that John would have been sitting in had he lived. And I just felt that it symbolized the loss that the family suffered.
KAGAN: Very good, James Spada. Once again, the book is called "John & Caroline: Their Lives In Pictures." Thanks for sharing some of those pictures with us today. And as we go to break, we'll take another look at some of those pictures for our viewers.
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