When Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for vice-president on the Democratic Party’s ticket in 1920, he became a prominent national political figure.

And even though the Democrats lost badly that year, Roosevelt – not yet 40 years old – was a rising star from whom many political observers expected to hear more in the future.

Then, in 1921, he was stricken with polio, losing the use of his legs for the rest of his life. Confined to a wheel chair, Roosevelt could stand only with the aid of heavy iron braces. His assistants had to carry him up stairways when no elevators were available.

After being mired...