Highlighting a personality that is fascinating, disconcerting, and hidden behind a veil of myth and legend, this biography of Bavaria's most colorful ruler, King Ludwig II, draws a detailed and fascinating picture of "Mad Ludwig," based on historical sources. The study demonstrates that quite a few longstanding beliefs about the man are pure fiction, and the authors—all of them renowned experts on the subject—have created a compilation unrivalled in commentary and pictures. A thorough life history is featured, discussing his relationship to the arts, providing a detailed overview of his travels, and including extensive documentation of previously unknown photographs.