David Grann

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lost City of Z, a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. A New York Times Notable Book Named a best book of the year by Amazon, Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, GQ, Time, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine, NPR, Vogue, Smithsonian, Cosmopolitan, Seattle Times, Bloomberg, Lit Hub, and Slate

The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI

Lauren Lipford

abi a

…the ragged, dirty, desperate mass of humanity stretched across the horizon, like an army pitted against itself.

Syrina Akbari

“Tell everybody, when you write your story, that they’re scalping our souls out here.”

Sherlock Holmes famously said, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

I am glad I read this so I could learn and understand more about Native American history. It did feel very much like I was reading a textbook though. Extremely detailed with quotes and many people mentioned, which made it somewhat hard to follow. 

Alicia Sahr

Alex Reino

A pretty incredible read, aggravating and horrifying. Can’t wait to see the movie

Patrick Book

This is one of those “so unbelievable it is astounding” true crime stories that just makes you want to weep for humanity.

From "New Yorker" staff writer David Grann, #1 "New York Times" best-selling author of "The Lost City of Z, " a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, they began to be killed off. One Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, watched as her family was murdered. Her older sister was shot. Her mother was then slowly poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more Osage began to die under mysterious circumstances. In this last remnant of the Wild West where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes such as Al Spencer, the Phantom Terror, roamed virtually anyone who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll surpassed more than twenty-four Osage, the newly created F.B.I. took up the case, in what became one of the organization s first major homicide investigations. But the bureau was then notoriously corrupt and initially bungled the case. Eventually the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau. They infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest modern techniques of detection. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. In "Killers of the Flower Moon, "David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. The book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. But more than that, it is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward Native Americans that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long. "Killers of the Flower Moon" is utterly riveting, but also emotionally devastating."

Megan Parrott

It always feels crappy to be riveted by a book like this – but it's important to learn about our nation's prejudices, especially when they allow such crimes to go on so long. The layers of injustice endured by the Osage Indian Nation are innumerable. It's devastating. 

"History is a merciless judge. It lays bare our tragic blunders and foolish missteps and exposes our most intimate secrets, wielding the power of hindsight like an arrogant detective who seems to know the end of the mystery from the outset." Now if only we could learn from this merciless judge.

Laura Walden

Presents a true account of the early twentieth-century murders of dozens of wealthy Osage and law-enforcement officials, citing the contributions and missteps of a fledgling FBI that eventually uncovered one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

Book Group Discussion Kit

Very entertaining, frequently chilling. A good read, and it makes me want to know more about J. Edgar Hoover after the shadowy, critical look Grann gives him. Tom White is another great character, my favorite part of the book overall. Tracking his life from beginning to end made me empathize with his person, and knowing he was a real man made it all better. This was an enjoyable book, and I'll have to start reading more nonfiction stories like this one from here on out. I would compare this book to The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, though I think I appreciated that one a bit more for the scope of the World's Fair and the contrast between the two main characters (one the Director of Works for the fair, the other a prolific serial killer). Back to this book, I think I would give it a high B rating. I liked it a lot, but it's not my favorite or anything. I'm glad I read it, though. As made clear in the book, this is a story that was disappearing from U.S. history, though many still remember it and the harm it brought on hundreds (if not thousands) of people's lives.

danijia

such incredible writing. the events are so crazy that you almost think this is fiction. interested to see what scorsese does with this

camille peiffer

haunting. can’t wait to see what marty does with this

iamazoo

a brutal story, but one that feels morally imperative to read.

This was a great page turner! The level of detail Grann took to cover these events was staggering, sometimes overwhelming with direct quotes from many bureau reports and old-timey newspapers. I was hooked all the way through until he inserted himself into the final act of the story 😔 why must historians always do this?? Otherwise I was super into it the whole time and can’t wait to watch the film now. Hopefully this Scorsese guy knows what he’s doing.

Eli Alvah Huckabee

As a student going to a university in Oklahoma, this book has been so hard for me to read because it is astonishing how much the history of the Osage Nation and the Reign of Terror has been brushed under the rug. I grew up in Tennessee, and these tragedies that happened in the 1920s were something I had never heard of before. Much of history has painted Native Americans and Indigenous peoples as savages when they have repeatedly watched their land be taken from them and been attacked by the white man. I saw the movie first, and it made me angry. The book only made me angrier. If you haven’t read the book, I recommend it and hope that you will. I also recommend reading about trigger warnings if you’re sensitive to gruesome/gory details or description of dead bodies before you begin reading the book. 

Tons of research went into this book and Grann’s persistence and attention to detail shine. Sad, but interesting read. 

Kristen Savage

Wow. Just wow. How heartbreaking this is. Grann beautifully shared the stories of those who are not able to anymore, in such a way that is captivating to read. A must read.

(Bre)anne✨

TW to be added later

Wow. Just wow. How heartbreaking this is. Grann beautifully shared the stories of those who are not able to anymore, in such a way that is captivating to read. A must read.

Read after seeing the trailer for the upcoming Scorcese adaptation. It's an incredible story - at first I didn't realise it was true. A shocking tale of how the Osage Indians were treated and chaotic origins of the FBI, set in the real "wild west". The audiobook form is great, as the book is written in a fact heavy report style. 

g.m.

it's a grim story and the narrative doesn't spare details, so its textbook-like prose can be off-putting to some (but as someone who is used to reading history books i very much enjoyed it) and its myriad of names can sometimes be confusing. it's not an easy read by any stretch - be it due to the gruesome tale it tells or just for the sheer volume of information - but still a very necessary one.

isabella

Lara Engle

This is an important story that needs to be told and remembered. I had a hard time reading it, though. This wasn't due to the subject matter, which recounts events I would call nightmarish if they weren't so horribly true. It's something about the writing style that kept putting me to sleep. I suppose it's probably that most of the non-fiction I enjoy is written in a novelistic style. This book is definitely a more typical non-fiction style. It took some time to get through, even though it isn't too long.

This is a very interesting set of cases but the writing is a bit lackluster. I am excited for the film release later this year. I'm sure it will be riveting and will bring much needed awareness to these crimes against the Osage people.

Ashlyn

An important story is told here, but it was the toughest read I’ve experienced in a while. This read like a textbook. I think this information would be better served via a podcast or some sort of media.

David Grann's "Killers of the Flower Moon" isn't just a book; it's a gut punch. It peels back the layers of a horrific chapter in American history, exposing the brutal murders of Osage Nation members driven by oil greed.

Grann's meticulous research reveals a shocking truth: the scale of the injustice is far greater than many realize. The sheer number of lives stolen leaves you reeling, the anger palpable.

But like the Holocaust, this story demands to be heard. It's a stark reminder of the darkness humans are capable of, but also a testament to the enduring fight for justice.

Liana

David Grann's "Killers of the Flower Moon" isn't just a book; it's a gut punch. It peels back the layers of a horrific chapter in American history, exposing the brutal murders of Osage Nation members driven by oil greed.

Grann's meticulous research reveals a shocking truth: the scale of the injustice is far greater than many realize. The sheer number of lives stolen leaves you reeling, the anger palpable.

But like the Holocaust, this story demands to be heard. It's a stark reminder of the darkness humans are capable of, but also a testament to the enduring fight for justice.

Osage County, Oklahoma, in the 1920s was where the richest people per capita in the world were to be found. The reason ? Oil. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage Indians had untold wealth. Then, one by one, they began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target, her relatives shot or poisoned. And, as the death toll climbed, the FBI took up the case and began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. Based on years of research.and startling new evidence, this is a masterpiece of narrative non-fiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. Killers of the Flower Moon is utterly compelling, but also emotionally devastating.

Kristen Claiborn

I would have known nothing of this travesty had this book not been chosen by my Facebook book group. This book sheds light on a situation that negatively impacted hundreds if people across multiple generations. In the year 2020, Americans have been hit head-on with examples of institutional racism and its deep-seeded history in our country, and this is yet another account of how bad it's been. While I felt this book was unnecessarily repetitive in many areas, the extensive research and effort are felt throughout.

Amy Thibodeau

This book is mind-bogglingly good and the story is one heart breaking example of the horrific crimes committed against First Nations people in North America. It gripped me from start to finish. The characters, insights into the frontier, historical info about the FBI , and the terrible mysteries in the middle are almost unbelievable and utterly compelling.

Dana Kraft

This book is really well written and the story was interesting throughout, but I have to say that it is one of he most heartbreaking frontier stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of frontier history. As I think about the Osage in this story, the emotion that I feel is fear. I can’t imagine living in a time and place where virtually every individual and institution is out to steal your money by any legal and illegal means including murder. It reminded me of the book “Slavery by Another Name”.

Sonja H

Ich hatte etwas anderes von diesem Buch erwartet. Ich ging davon aus, dass ich mehr Hintergründe über das FBI erfahren würde, über die beginnenden Strukturen, die Probleme, die Entstehung des riesigen Systems, was es heute ist.

Ja, man erfährt auch etwas über die Anfänge dieser Einrichtung und die Schwierigkeiten, die sich ihr anfangs boten. Aber dennoch liegt der Schwerpunkt des Buchs auf sehr verwickelten und komplizierten Morden innerhalb eines nordamerikanischen Indianerstamms zwischen 1921 und 1926.

Das Buch ist sehr gut recherchiert, keine Frage. Ich fand es jedoch zu verwirrend und konnte kein rechtes Interesse für das Thema aufbringen.

Rick Dobrowolski

This book is very well-written and researched. It’s a travesty how many people preyed on the Osage India tribe. The depravity of man and his lust for riches overwhelms any thoughts of decency and respect for fellow humanity. How ironic that our government determined that the Osage needed “guardians” to help them spend their money wisely, only to have those guardians ruin and take their lives from them.

Killers of the Flower Moon The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

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