We at Camping magazine have witnessed only too well how life under canvas has changed in the last couple of years, with lifestyle and leisure pursuits playing a key role in the genre.

Camping offers a passport to freedom, whether it is on your doorstep or across the water. You only have to realise the growth in adventure travel, fuelled by budget airlines offering cheap travel destinations, to appreciate how accessible European resorts are today for families and gap-year backpackers. Add to this list UK festival-goers and weekend camping adventure-holics, and you quickly realise why we have seen such a massive swing towards the pastime.

Cool Camping: England is the first in a radical new series of camping guidebooks. Representing a totally fresh approach for the genre, the book features a select range of outstanding camping experiences, hand-picked by author Jonathan Knight for the perfect weekend away. The book includes over 250 colour photographs, entertaining reviews, and a slick, stylish design.

All the destinations have something special to offer - some of which we have already waxed lyrical about in Camping. You won't find corporate sites or bingo nights here. Think, instead, stunning views, remote island locations, ancient woodlands, Indian tipis, Mongolian yurts and vintage American trailers, and you will get the drift.

Having scoured bookshops for a decent camping guide, the author found only directory-style listings of hundreds of average campsites. "That's not very useful for the contemporary camper who simply wants one spectacular campsite to enjoy for the weekend with plenty to do in the area," Jonathan Knight told Camping. "Knowing there is a great coastal path to explore, or an award-winning gastro pub around the corner is more useful than being told the number of showers the campsite has. In Cool Camping: England we have addressed that need, with in-depth, relevant info on each site."

The more experienced campers among you will appreciate this book as you will already understand the difficulty in finding a superb site. New campers will enjoy this book as it includes a good selection of well-organised sites with decent facilities. Plus it takes the guesswork out of picking a site, so there is more chance of that first camping experience being a memorable one for all the right reasons.

Visit www.coolcamping.co.uk