Waverley Root

{{short description|American journalist}} {{Infobox person | name = Waverley Root | image = Waverley Root headshot.jpg | caption = Root's author photograph from ''The Food of Italy'', 1971 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1903|04|15}} | birth_place = Providence, Rhode Island | death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|10|31|1903|04|15}} | death_place = Paris, France | occupation = Journalist and author | notable_works = ''The Food of France''<br> ''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." <ref name= NYTimes/> Among many other works, he also authored the classic ''The Food of Italy''.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-caravaggio-on-the-italian-upper-east-side.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& Caravaggio review] May 15, 2013 New York Times</ref>

==Early life and education== Root was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. He obtained his degree from Tufts College in Medford, Mass.

==Career== Root was a news correspondent for over 30 years; in 1969 he retired from daily journalism.<ref name=NYTimes /> He was the Paris correspondent for the ''Chicago Tribune'' and then ''The Washington Post''. He was also a columnist for the ''International Herald Tribune''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/10/03/le-centennial/ed0d51c4-0947-4294-b26c-6f5d40d1d17b/|title=Le Centennial|newspaper=Washington Post|author= Cody, Edward|date=October 3, 1987}}</ref>

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.

==Writings== Waverley Root became widely known for his writings on food, including: *''The Food of France'' (1958) *''The Cooking of Italy'' (1968)<ref>The Cooking of Italy (International Edition), by Waverley Root, photographed by Fred Lyon, Time-Life International (Nederland), 1969, page 4 (bottom).</ref> *''Paris Dining Guide'' (1969) *''The Food of Italy'' (1971) *''Eating in America: A History'' (1976) – with Richard De Rochemont *''Food, an Authoritative and Visual History and Dictionary of the Foods of the World'' (1980)

Among his other books are the following: *''The Truth about Wagner'' (1928) *''The Secret History of the War'' (1946) *''Winter Sports in Europe'' (1956) *''The Paris Edition: The Autobiography of Waverley Root, 1927-1934 ''(1987)

==Family== At the time of his death, Root was married to Colette Root. He had a daughter, from his third marriage.

==Death== Root died in his sleep at the age of 79. The cause of his death was a pulmonary ailment.<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite news|title=Waverley L. Root, 79, Journalist|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/01/obituaries/waverley-l-root-79-journalist.html|work=New York Times| date=November 1982 |accessdate=16 September 2013}}</ref>

== References == <references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Root, Waverley}} Category:20th-century American journalists Category:American food writers Category:1903 births Category:1982 deaths Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers Category:20th-century American male writers Category:James Beard Foundation Award winners Category:20th-century American male journalists Category:20th-century food writers