Allen & Unwin Out of the Woods book History English Paperback 272 pages

Can you identify that tree outside the window? Probably not. Most of us don't know an oak from a sycamore, let alone a beech from a birch. Perhaps it is time to turn over a new leaf.

Out of the Woods is an affectionate, convivial introduction to Britain's trees, in which Will Cohu takes you on a revelatory ramble through country and city - from woodlands of majestic oak and ash, via alder-clad lay-bys, to mean streets lined with cherries.With stunning illustrations by Mungo McCosh, Out of the Woods contains myriad tips for recognition and is rich in tree-biography and gossip. This is a book that will enable you to tell your pine from your cedar as you pass at 70mph, and will inspire even the most unreformed couch potato to pull on the wellies and brave the local park in search of national treasures scattered all around us.

Will Cohu is a regular contributor to The Daily Telegraph and Gardens Illustrated. His is the author of Urban Dog: The Adventures of Parker (Pocket Books, 2001) and The Wolf Pit (Vintage, 2012). He lives in Lincolnshire.