DAVID GRANN is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine. He is the author of "The Lost City of Z" and a National Book Award finalist for "Killers of the Flower Moon," both of which were chosen as one of the best books of their respective years by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. He is also the author of "The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession" and "Old Man and the Gun: And other Tales of True Crime." Several of his stories, including "The Lost City of Z" and "Old Man and the Gun," have been adapted into major motion pictures. And his work has garnered several honors for outstanding nonfiction, including a George Polk Award, an Edgar Award, and a Spur Award.

 

 

 

5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent story telling of a horrible part of history May 7, 2017 Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase Ill keep it simple. Im horrified and ashamed of the atrocities people will commit to gain extra cash in their pockets. This story needed to be told, and it fascinating the amount of detail that went into describing the horrors of that period of time. Certainly a lot of jumping off points into further readings from history. Reads quickly, easily, and is highly thought provoking. Worth the time. I highly recommend it. One aspect that had it been included, would have really helped solidify some of the information is a time line with events and people. There are so many people involved, and so many connections and mysteries, that I was beginning to forget when something happened and who was involved, or how someone was related, or what their role was. Its not that I forgot, but I would love to refer back to that in conversations about the book. I suppose I could have taken notes, but that didnt occur until later. And so I just leave that as a suggestion. A couple of pages at end of book with a quick whos who. 671 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Cathy G. Cole TOP 500 REVIEWER 5.0 out of 5 starsIts almost impossible not to become emotionally involved while reading this book April 18, 2017 Format: Kindle Edition Author David Grann spent years doing research and uncovering new evidence in writing Killers of the Flower Moon. Since I was a fan of his from reading The Lost City of Z, I expected this latest book to be the sort of non-fiction I love: the kind that reads like the best fiction. I was not disappointed. What I did not expect was just how infuriated I would become by reading it. Having been a huge horse racing fan when I was a teenager, I knew about the wealth of the Osage Nation in the 1920s. One of the Osage owned a winner of the Kentucky Derby. But that knowledge was just cursory. I had no idea how rich the Osage really were, and I certainly didnt have a clue that the government didnt trust them with all that money. I should not have been so naive. It had to madden many whites that, although theyd shoved the Osage onto a piece of land they deemed unfit for themselves, oil would be discovered and the Osage would turn out to be the wealthiest people in the world. The one way they had of trying to horn in on this wealth was by declaring that the Osage were not fit to use their own money wisely. In many cases whites were put in charge of the families money, and they gave their wards allowances (and themselves large fees for their business knowledge). Why on earth should I be so surprised that this greed would escalate to murder? It is the natural progression after all. To this day, the Osage have trust issues, and who can blame them? They tried to get dozens of murders investigated, but instead the killings were covered up. What Grann did in Killers of the Flower Moon was to dig deeper and deeper and expose just how huge the problem actually was. As I read, words like horrifying, unspeakable, and several others flashed through my mind. This is an uncomfortable read for anyone with a conscience; nevertheless, it is a fascinating and important one. (Review copy courtesy of NetGalley) Read more 563 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Reading Prof 5.0 out of 5 starsFirst rate! April 18, 2017 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase This is one of the best true crime historical accounts Ive ever read. From start to finish it is compelling reading that didnt let me put the book down. A darkly fascinating subject well rendered. 393 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Amazon Customer 5.0 out of 5 starsA true story July 30, 2017 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase Well researched and written. Sadly a true story. A testimonial to greed and arrogance. Well worth reading. review image 84 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Rob M 5.0 out of 5 starsYikes. April 29, 2017 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase This is one of the most heartbreaking and terrifying books I have ever read. I hope that it becomes a staple of reading lists for American history classes. It is an incredibly well told story of a staggering real world evil in an America only two or three generations removed from our own. You should read it. It wont take long - it is, though it feels crass to say so, a genuine page-turner. And I at least will likely wrestle with it for a long while. Man o man. 445 people found this helpful Helpful Comment Report abuse Amazon Customer 5.0 out of 5 starsMasterful. A disturbing piece of history wonderfully told. April 22, 2017 Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase This one I couldnt put down. What an incredible period in Oklahoma history that I never learned about until now. The author captures an era of lawlessness and greed in frontier life and shares a piece of history that almost remained untold. Thank goodness David Grann didnt let this one die. I really enjoyed this book and hope this story is included in future history classes. A cautionary tale demonstrating the level of greed and heartlessness that can sometimes take hold in peoples hearts. 226 people found this helpful