The Dream King: Ludwig II of Bavaria

If you have any curiosity at all about the man who built those famous, fairytale castles in Germany, this is an excellent overview. It pairs a good, basic biography with loads of images and pulls the reader into Ludwig's world in a way a less well-illustrated biography might not. The images are, in fact, the strongest part of this book since the narrative, though good, isn't what you'd call a comprehensive study of Ludwig's life. If you want depth, you'll have to look elsewhere. But for a better understanding of the king and the time and place in which he lived, this is an excellent beginning.

With photos on nearly every page and over twenty full page plates this book is beautifully put together and paints an interesting picture of the most enigmatic of German Kings. The book portrays the king as a lover of German Myth and art and more than anything Richard Wagner. While it dabbles into the question of whether Ludwig II truly was "mad" it doesn't definitively answer the question. It does however go to great lengths to describe the behavior, misanthropy, lack of desire to act as king and above all excessive spending of the King. To some extent the book also explores the circumstances that may have caused Ludwig to live more in his dream world than in reality. His father was stern and offered little support and guidance to the heir to the throne and the political climate in pre-unified Germany was rife with turmoil and war. And finally (and possibly most importantly) he ascended the throne at 19. All of these factors provide ample reasons why Ludwig would find being king as a challenge. His romantic temperament which is emphasized in the book took over... Where the true greatness of this book is in the accounts, letters, primary sources used to describe the kings loney and enigmatic life. In spite of the strangeness of the king you cant help but pity him. His only contact with the real world was in his midnight rides through the alpine dorfs of Bavaria where he felt relaxed and and showed the peasants only kindness. He also was incredibly genrous with these people and the few others he took a liking too even if he did require them to go at great lengths to please him including trecking over Swiss Glaciers to re-enact a scene from Schiller's "William Tell" I found this book to be both beautiful and enjoyable. It was a fast read however I found the "The Swan King" to be a far more complete and thorough work that explored Ludwig's Bavaria and Europe better than this one. If you are looking for an easy to follow and wholly enjoyable read "The Dream King" is for you. This is the perfect book to bring on a flight to Munich since it will only take a few hours to read and sets the scene for the cultural treasures of Bavaria. Reading and viewing this book you will understand why Bavarians today think so kindly of Ludwig II. Ludwig shows us that all great men need to be a little eccentric to see beyond the plane of the average and Ludwig'eccentricity did much to add to German culture and to beautify Bavaria. Like his grandfather he did more to beautify Munich and Bavaria and any other of the Wittelsbach and only adds to the charm of southern German culture. Ted Murena

Ludwig was both a romantic & a mystic. This book reveals the extent to which his synthesis of both blurred into his life, & complicated his reign. Those who would label him "mad", however, are utterly misguided. Examine his fabulous creations, & you'll understand why even today, folks come from the four corners of the world just to see them.

This wonderful book depicts the life of King Ludwig II. It is filled with lovely photographs and color plates of Ludwig and his castles. While some of the book is contradictory and quite speculative (i.e. far fetched assumptions about Ludwig's "presumed" homosexuality), overall it is a wonderful composition that make a great compliment to any collection. It is well written and quite intriguing--I have found information in this book that I haven't found elsewhere.I definitely recommend this book. It will keep you up reading all night, so take my advice and be sure to get it in hardcover! Four and a half stars!