Waverley Lewis Root (April 15, 1903, in Providence, Rhode Island – October 31, 1982 in Paris) was an American journalist and writer. Root authored the classic The Food of Italy on Italy and its regional cuisines.
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. His books and writings focused on food.
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, Diane Lane, from his third marriage.
Root died in his sleep at the age of 79. The cause of his death was from a pulmonary ailment.