Mad King, The-Ludwig Ii [Hardcover]

Greg King (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Schattenkonig--shadow king--of a doomed monarchy from his accession at the age of 18 in 1864, Ludwig II reigned over Bavaria but never ruled. The day after his forced abdication in 1886, his body was found in Lake Starnberg, a presumed suicide. Neither lawgiver nor warrior, Ludwig left behind several dreamy, mock-Gothic castles and the music dramas of Wagner, whom he patronized. Despite his prodigality and retreat into brooding isolation, he is remembered almost wistfully as the storybook-handsome young sovereign whose early promise ended in insanity and mysterious death. There have been notable biographies in English, the last being Wilfrid Blunt's The Dream King, published in 1970. This newest life by King (The Man Who Killed Rasputin) is more informative about Ludwig's upbringing and inadequate preparation for his royal role. His "fragile sexual identity" also failed him; after the wedding to a teenage cousin was canceled, he hid away in castles far from the state capital of Munich to carry on what he thought were clandestine liaisons with princes and stableboys. By 30, dissipation had cost him his health and his looks. His relationship with Wagner, whom he had championed for 18 years, also went sour. The pathetic, decadent life of Ludwig II repels more than it enthralls, despite King's attempt to sentimentalize him and make him sympathetic. Illustrations not seen by PW.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ludwig II (1845-86) was eminently unsuited for the Bavarian throne. A dreamy, sensitive introvert, he shunned all court duties and society. Guilt-ridden over his homosexual desires, he never married, destabilizing Bavaria's throne while Bismarck's Prussia strengthened its position. Ludwig's only passionate interests were Richard Wagner's operas (Wagner wrote most of the Ring cycle for Ludwig) and building grand architectural follies like the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Finally, his ministers, convinced he was insane, had him deposed and confined. One day later, he mysteriously drowned. King (The Man Who Killed Rasputin, LJ 11/15/95) gives a straightforward account of Ludwig's sad life, quoting many of Ludwig's letters to highlight his artistic, tormented soul. King also makes a convincing case for "death by misadventure," suggesting a drunken, overwrought Ludwig drowned in an escape attempt. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.?Robert Persing, Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib., Bryn Mawr
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 335 pages
• Publisher: Citadel (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559723629
• ISBN-13: 978-1559723626
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,057,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting portrait of the Swan King and his family, December 29, 2001

By 

J. N. W. Bos "Joan" (Utrecht, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mad King, The-Ludwig Ii (Hardcover)

As a big fan of the Bavarian King Ludwig II, I have read several books about the "Swan King", including the remainders of his secret diary. Still, I was quite charmed by this biography by Greg King. I was touched by his description how awkward the relation between Ludwig and his parents was. They felt hopelessly awkward in their children's presence and knew nothing of their interests and could never make more than the most shallow conversation with them.
In Chapter 30, "The King's Friendships", Greg King poses a theory that the Catholic Ludwig struggled with his homosexuality and that he hid himself in his artificial world in a desperate attempt to fight against his longings. Through repeated pledges and vows to remain chaste in his secret diary, he tried to appease his troubled soul.
Chapter 34, "The King's Illness", is about Ludwig's eccentricity, describing Ludwig's brother Otto, their aunts and other eccentric and insane relatives. He concludes the chapter with: "The question of his alleged insanity [..] should be one of degrees of eccentricity rather than complete mental illness."
In the final chapter, "The Crime", Greg King poses his own theory of Ludwig's mysterious death. The hard cover contains some black-and-white pictures and a simple family tree. Of all books I have read about Ludwig, I would recommend this one. It gave me some interesting, new insights into Ludwig's private live. It is well-written and fun to read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well documented and very enjoyable to read, November 8, 2003

By 

J F Saenz (San Jose, Costa Rica) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad King, The-Ludwig Ii (Hardcover)

I would highly recommend this book -it is well-written, remarkably documented and presents varied and much interesting facts and circumstances about the tragic life of Ludwig II. I truly enjoyed reading it. A must for anyone interested in the King, the Wittelsbach house or Richard Wagner.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but nothing to highten the readers fascination., June 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mad King, The-Ludwig Ii (Hardcover)

This biography is interesting, but for a reader who does already know the basics of Ludwig's life, it provides nothing. Upon reading that King spent an entire six years researching Ludwig, I anticipated a highly informing and interesting book. . . I was wrong. One may be inclined to believe that King read a solitary encyclopedia entry and expanded his newly acquired "knowledge" into a 300 + page biography. I recommend this book to someone who has never read anything on Ludwig II before; it will prove to be an informative and interesting book. If, however, you already know something, ANYTHING on Ludwig II's life and times, then by purchasing this particular work it will be a waste of about $17 for a reinforcement of what you ALREADY KNOW!