Well researched and written book about the mistreatment of the Osage people. It was an interesting look at the beginnings of the FBI and also the investigative research completed by the author long after the fact. Much better than the movie. ( )

For years Native Americans were forced off their lands and relocated. The Osage Nation wound up in a rocky, infertile area of northeast Oklahoma. That would normally be the end of story, except the land turned out to be rich in oil. Then, one by one, generation after generation of Osage people were systematically killed for their land rights. The majority of murders were never solved, and the few who were found guilty, never served their full sentence. David Grann documents a web of conspiracy spanning decades and killing hundreds.

The book was an eye opener for me, showcasing the prevalence of greed in our society. A shocking example of corruption, depravity, and discrimination on all levels. Crimes that were washed away with time, this is a story that needs be told and lessons learned from it. In the words of a descendant of a victim, "The blood cries out from the ground." ( )

**4.5 Star Rating**

This was such an interesting and eye-opening nonfiction story that help continue to share the narrative that the Native people of the Americas are continuously mistreating in the systems we have built in our country. The narrative is split into three sections that helps readers process the story as they unfolded in history. I appreciated the research and time that went into the story, as well as the nod to generation trauma that still impacts the families involved to this day. Very glad I read this book to open my eyes to historical events that are not talked about enough. ( )

Title: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Author: David Grann
Narrators: Will Patton (Narrator), Ann Marie Lee (Narrator), Danny Campbell (Narrator)
Publisher: Random House Publisher
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

My Perception:

'Killers of the Flower Moon' was quite a sad read of what happened to the Osage people a hundred years ago. I was left saying, wow... this occurred in the U.S. Can one believe this? Are we finally seeing how there is so much evil and corruption in our American government that happened so long ago still going on in some form, even today? Oh yes, I can. I am an Afro-American, and I know it has happened here in the U.S. not only to my race but to other races, too. Thank you to this author for bringing this story about the Osage people to light.

This author did an excellent job explaining what happened in 'The Reign of Terror and the Osage Murders of Killers of the Flower Moon.' David Grann's research, recordings, documents, and photographs were very well presented, giving the reader quite a good read.

What gets me is how these people [white] got away with this for so long. Oh, no, really, we know why that happened! It was so good to finally see things come to a head, only to find out later that there was still important information that had not been presented. Now, what was left out? This is where you must pick up this read to see what that was and how it was brought out. But was anything done about it? Oh, I know, it was too late; they all were dead by then! Thank God for the wonderful character, Tom White, an FBI agent who cared; I will leave it at that.

This story was an alarming piece of history that some wouldn't want to come to light, but it did! The reader will see how the Osage people were horribly treated by [white] people, which left me .. well, I will stop here. All that is left to say is this has happened not only to the Osage but to many other races. All that is left to say is that this is the America we live in, like it or not. ( )

I haven’t yet seen the movie version of this story, but picked up the book when I saw it on Amazon. I was unfamiliar with the history when I ordered it.

The gist of the story is that the Osage Indian tribe was gradually settled onto land in northern Oklahoma in the late 19th century. Through a combination of circumstances, the Osage took title to the land, which allowed them to retain mineral interests after much of the land was appropriated and redistributed to white settlers.

Lo and behold, the land held vast reserves of oil, resulting in members of the Osage tribe collecting many millions of dollars in royalties in the teens and twenties. Soon, members of the tribe began to be murdered and poisoned, with their royalty interests being accumulated by nefarious local characters.

State and local politicians and law enforcement were largely in the pocket of the killers, as it was difficult to prosecute the white killers of the Osage tribe.

The first 1/3 of the book highlights the killings. The second 1/3 focuses on the federal investigation, performed by the nascent FBI, under the direction of its new Director, J. Edgar Hoover. The final third involves a more current journalistic investigation of the killings and their aftermath.

Great history lesson, unfortunately not a great book. Pretty dry stuff, written in a style unlikely to engage the reader. I’m guessing the movie is better. ( )