A Royal Recluse – Memories of Ludwig II of Bavaria

A Royal Recluse: Memories of Ludwig II of Bavaria by Werner Bertram, translated by Margaret McDonough, offers an engaging portrait of Bavaria’s famously enigmatic monarch, Ludwig II (1845–1886). Often remembered as the “Fairy-Tale King,” Ludwig became legendary for his romantic ideals, artistic patronage, and the extraordinary castles he commissioned—most famously Neuschwanstein.

Bertram explores Ludwig’s complex character, his devotion to music and the composer Richard Wagner, and the political tensions that surrounded his reign and mysterious death in 1886. This is a richly told, visually supported biography for readers and collectors of European royal history, Bavarian culture, and nineteenth-century monarchy.

This illustrated edition includes a coloured frontispiece with 24 coloured plates and 13 black-and-white illustrations. Published in Munich by Martin Herpich & Son (77th–87th thousand), it remains a desirable copy for collectors of Ludwig II material and historical illustrated books.

Condition: Very Good. Complete copy with all plates present. The binding is good and structurally sound. Pictorial boards show light handling wear consistent with age. Foxing is present on several pages and page edges, typical for a book of this period.