"Almost a prerequisite for any serious study of Sufism in European languages": this was the verdict of Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his review of the first edition of "A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi his Spiritual Heritage and Legacy".---In this work, the author, Dr Martin Lings, presents a vivid picture of the unforgettable figure of the Algerian Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi through a short biography by his French doctor and the translation of the Shaykh al-Alawi's own autobiography.These are followed by expositions of the Shaykh al-Alawi's teachings which are based on pure metaphysics and gnosis.Finally, Dr Martin Lings translates selections from Shaykh al-Alawi's aphorisms and mystical poetry.The whole work immerses the reader in the world of North African Sufism both as an intellectual tradition and a living reality.