The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria

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. (Nov.)