Francois-Rene, Vicomte de Chateaubriand, was the most conspicuous figure in French literature during the First Empire. He was born in St Malo in 1768, and received a commission in the army in 1786. While living in Paris, he met the men of letters of whom he left remarkable portraits in his memoirs. His second publication, Atala, appeared in 1801 and ... Read moreimmediately made his reputation. Chateaubriand died on the 4th of July 1848, leaving behind his controversial and celebrated Memoires d'outre-tombe. Show Less