François-René de Chateaubriand

François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand; French pronunciation: .}} (4 September 1768 – 4 July 1848) was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian who influenced French literature of the nineteenth century. Descended from an old aristocratic family from Brittany, Chateaubriand was a royalist by political disposition. In an age when large numbers of intellectuals turned against the Church, he authored the ''Génie du christianisme'' in defense of the Catholic faith. His works include the autobiography ''Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe'' (''Memoirs from Beyond the Grave''), published posthumously in 1849–1850.

Historian Peter Gay said that Chateaubriand saw himself as the greatest lover, the greatest writer, and the greatest philosopher of his age. Gay states that Chateaubriand "dominated the literary scene in France in the first half of the nineteenth century". Provided by Wikipedia