Bill Laws is a writer and editor based in Herefordshire, England. He is the author of numerous books, including Common Losses: Essays and Interviews on Trees, Woods and the Green Man , which was commissioned by the environmental arts group Common Ground, and Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables . Bill writes on gardens and landscapes for numerous publications including the Guardian and Telegraph newspapers, Environment Now and the BBC's History magazine. He has also edited a series of journals and books on rural history for the last twenty years. His most recent books include The Field Guide to Fields: Hidden Treasures of Meadows, Pastures, and Prairies (Collins) and Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History (David & Charles).