"The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to..." by François-René de Chateaubriand is a memoir published posthumously in 1849 and 1850. Written across decades of the author's life, this sweeping autobiography blends political history with intimate personal confession. The founder of French Romanticism chronicles his experiences as soldier, traveler, novelist, and statesman through an era of epic historical upheaval. His poetic prose and melancholic tone captivated young Romantics, inspiring Victor Hugo to declare he would become "Chateaubriand or nothing." Financial necessity forced publication of these memoirs from beyond the grave.
Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9moires_d%27Outre-Tombe