| Waverley Root | |
| Birth Date: | 15 April 1903 |
| Birth Place: | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Journalist and author |
| Notable Works: | The Food of France The Food of Italy |
Waverley Lewis Root (April 15, 1903 – October 31, 1982) was an American journalist and writer. Root became known as an authority on food with the publication of The Food of France in 1958, "which has never been out of print." Among many other works, he also authored the classic The Food of Italy.[1]
Root was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. He obtained his degree from Tufts College in Medford, Mass.
Root was a news correspondent for over 30 years; in 1969 he retired from daily journalism. He was the Paris correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and then The Washington Post. He was also a columnist for the International Herald Tribune.[2]
His books and writings focused on food, and yet mingled culinary details of the regions he wrote about with historic facts, and literary references.
After graduating from college, he moved to Greenwich Village, New York City.
Waverley Root became widely known for his writings on food, including:
Among his other books are the following:
At the time of his death, Root was married to Colette Root. He had a daughter, from his third marriage.
Root died in his sleep at the age of 79. The cause of his death was a pulmonary ailment.[4]