Waverley Root

Writer

  • Born: April 15, 1903
  • Birthplace: Providence, Rhode Island
  • Died: October 31, 1982
  • Place of death: Paris, France

Biography

Waverley Root, a twentieth century journalist, author, and expert on international cuisine, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1903. When he was seven years old, his family relocated to Massachusetts, where he attended public schools. From 1920 to 1923, Root attended Tufts College in Boston. During this time, he worked as a correspondent for a Boston newspaper as well as the Associated Press. Root left Tufts College in his third year without a degree and moved to New York City in hopes of securing a full-time journalism position. For the next few years, Root struggled to find full-time work in New York. He was unsuccessful, and he supported himself as a freelance contributor to numerous magazines and wrote book reviews for the New York World.

In 1927, frustrated with his work in New York, Root decided to take a short trip to Paris, France. During his trip, Root became so enamored with Paris that he remained there until 1940. While living in Paris, Root worked as a correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and a radio correspondent for the Mutual Broadcasting System. He was also a feature writer for an English- language edition of the Paris Tribune. In 1940, on the brink of World War II, Root returned to the United States, where he remained for the duration of the war. During this time, he wrote The Secret History of the War, published in three volumes in 1945 and 1946.

After the war, Root returned to Paris as a correspondent for The Washington Post. While living in Europe, Root became an authority on international foods. He began to write and edit books on the cuisine of France and Italy. In 1958, he published his most noted work on this subject, The Food of France. This book was not only a collection of French recipes but also a history of French cuisine. The Food of France has not been out of print since its initial publication. Root remained in Paris until his death in 1982. His autobiography, The Paris Edition: The Autobiography of Waverly Root, 1927-1934, was posthumously published in 1987.