Theodore Roosevelt’s The Man In The Arena

In 1912, TR (as he liked to be called) was shot up close in a failed assignation attempt. Moments later he continued to deliver a 90 minute speech with blood seeping out his chest. “Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”

One of the last true Renaissance Men, TR flew in the Wright brother’s plane, remains the youngest U.S president ever, is the only person in history to have even been awarded both their nation’s highest military honour and the Nobel Peace Prize and even your teddy bears were named after him (I’m serious).

Interesting guy – I recommend his auto-bio ($1 on Kindle).

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.