Killers of the Flower Moon

Name: Killers of the Flower Moon
Author: David Grann
ISBN: 9780385534246

by David Grann

A haunting investigation into the murders of members of the Osage Nation, the wealth created by oil beneath their land, and the investigation that exposed a wider conspiracy of greed, exploitation, and murder.

A history buried in oil.

In the 1920s, members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma became extraordinarily wealthy after oil was discovered beneath their land. That wealth was followed by a series of murders targeting Osage people and those connected to their families.

David Grann reconstructs the crimes and the investigation that followed, drawing on archival material and historical research. The book follows the emergence of the FBI's investigation while revealing a much wider pattern of greed, exploitation, and violence.

Atmospheric landscape inspired by the plains of Oklahoma and the history surrounding the Osage murders.

“

A true crime story that became a history of power, greed, and justice.

KODAMA / EDITORIAL NOTE

The author 1967 —

David Grann

David Grann is an American journalist and author known for narrative nonfiction based on historical events, investigations, and extensive archival research.

In Killers of the Flower Moon, Grann combines investigative reporting and historical research to reconstruct the murders of members of the Osage Nation and the investigation that followed.

OTHER WORKS

Also the author of The Lost City of Z, The White Darkness, The Wager and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes.

A few things that make the story even more disturbing.

Oil transformed the Osage Nation's wealth.

Oil discovered beneath Osage land made members of the nation extraordinarily wealthy, creating a financial incentive that became central to the crimes described in the book.

The murders became known as the Reign of Terror.

A series of killings targeting members of the Osage Nation became part of what is now known as the Osage Reign of Terror.

The case became an important early FBI investigation.

The federal investigation eventually brought investigators into a complex case involving murder, financial interests, corruption, and a conspiracy surrounding Osage wealth.

The book became a major nonfiction success.

Published in 2017, the book became a bestseller and received major recognition, including an Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime.

On screen

When the story became visual.

David Grann's investigation later became the basis for Martin Scorsese's 2023 film adaptation.

2023

Killers of the Flower Moon

Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Scorsese and Eric Roth, the film is based on David Grann's book and follows the murders of members of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma.

Watch

The Osage murders explained.

A CBS Sunday Morning report featuring David Grann and exploring the Osage murders, the oil wealth, and the investigation behind the story.

ARCHIVE FILM David Grann · Osage Nation · Oklahoma

Atmospheric landscape evoking the plains of Oklahoma and the historical setting of the Osage murders.

Legacy

More than a story about murder.

Killers of the Flower Moon connects a series of murders to a larger history of wealth, exploitation, racism, institutional power, and the development of federal criminal investigation in the United States.

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