This bio by Martin Lings will help you sort through the prophet’s actual life. Written by a Muslim scholar from London, it will open up multiple new avenues to understand the sources of Islam.
http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Life-Based-Earliest-Sources/dp/1594771537
Martin Lings has removed significant negative details about Muhammad. Advertizing his book is a serious blunder. The book is an deceptive attempt to make Muhammad look better than he was.
Read Nabeel Qureshi’s book, Searching for Allah, Finding Jesus. In his book he describes biased Islamic cherry picking of what details to include or exclude in his biography. Lings is an apologist for Islam.
Wow — good input, David. Ordering Nabeel Qureshi’s, Searching for Allah, Finding Jesus.
Although I haven’t yet read the book, I’m sure you’re correct in saying that Lings is an apologist for Islam. He is, after all, a Muslim. However, I think it is equally important for non-Muslims to read Muslim opinions about their prophet. It helps us to understand from their own perspective what motivates their faith and captures their imagination regarding his life.