Franklin Delano Roosevelt wasn''t a born leader. He became one. As a boy he was in poor health, was insecure, and an average student at best. Growing into manhood, the lessons he learned came not from books but from influencers of his lifetime, beginning with Endicott Peabody, the most renowned US headmaster of the twentieth century. He instilled in Roosevelt a confidence and strength that empowered the young student and propelled him to greatness as one of the most revered presidents of the United States. For Roosevelt, Peabody was only one of a small number of people who helped him develop the skills and temperament that enabled him to overcome the devastating effects of polio, to lead the nation through two crises, and to secure America''s leadership in the world. In FDR''s Mentors, Michael Gerhardt tells the extraordinary stories of the men and women who had a vital impact on Roosevelt''s life, career, and pragmatic personality: his distant cousin Teddy; his wife Eleanor; President
