beware of Orientalis writer.
Thanks bro globalpeace for highlight this kind of situation.
im NOT a scholar 2.
just wanna interupted with my little knowledge..we must be careful with certain source that we read or getting the info for
(e.g turn to last page and view their reference plus search for that author bio).there was a lots of orientalis writer that studying about Islam and manipulation it through words..but some managed to get Hidayah after doing their research.
i'm NOT sure about Martin Lings becoz 1st i never meet him face 2 face, 2nd i never read his book BUT you can refer all his book from the URL below.BUT from his "book title" maybe we can get some hint's about his interest's the for e.g the shrik stuff like sufism..:astag: etc.
just be careful and it's advisable if we can refer to our scholar on this matter.
correct me if im wrong.
About the Author: i copy from
http://www.fonsvitae.com/martin-lings-book-list.html
Dr. Martin Lings is the author of the authoritative biography of the Prophet, Muhammed, His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. He has also written What is Sufism?, Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions, Shakespeare in Light of Sacred Art, The Book of Certainty, A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century, A Return to The Spirit- Answers to Questions, The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination and two volumes of poems, The Element and The Heralds. He is also the author of the article on Sufism in the latest edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, the chapter on Sufism in the Cambridge University Publication Religion in the Middle East, and numerous articles for the quarterly journal Studies in Comparative Religion.
Martin Lings was born in Burnage, Lancashire, 1909. After taking an English degree at Oxford in 1932, he was appointed Lecturer in Anglo-Saxon at the University of Kaunas. His interest in Islam and in Arabic took him to Egypt in 1939, and in the following year he was given a lectureship in Cairo University. In 1952 he returned to England and took a degree in Arabic at London University. From 1970-74 he was Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books at the British Museum (in 1973 his Department became part of the British Library) where he had been in special charge of the Qur’an manuscripts, amongst other treasures, since 1955. Dr. Lings passed from this world on May 12th 2005 and is survived by his wife.
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Selected Bibliography of Major Works:
The Book of Certainty: The Sufi Doctrine of Faith, Wisdom and Gnosis. Abu Bakr Siraj al Din 1952, 1970, 1992
A Muslim [Sufi] Saint of the Twentieth Century. 1961, 1971,1973,1981,1982,1993
Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions. 1964, 1980, 1991
Shakespeare in the Light of Sacred Art. 1966
The Elements, and other Poems. 1967
The Heralds, and other Poems. 1970
Islamic Calligraphy and Illumination. 1971
What is Sufism?. 1975,1977, 1981, 1993
The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination. 1976, 1978, 1987
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. 1983,1985,1991
The Secret of Shakespeare. 1984
Collected Poems, 1987
The Eleventh Hour: The Spiritual Crisis of the Modern World in the Light of Tradition and Prophecy. 1989
Symbol and Archetype: A Study of the Meaning of Existence. 1991, 2006
Mecca, 2004
Sufi Poems 2004
A Return to The Spirit- Answers to Questions. 2005
Splendours of Quran Calligraphy and Illumination, 2005
The Essential Martin Lings, 2006
it's got a lot of detail. Way back from the situation of the Arabs, the Arab tribes etc... to the proper Seerah and it has evidences and everything. I too think it's best for reading about the Life of the Prophet Muhammad 
