As promised, here's a longer book review. Thanks to WHSLA Treasurer Robert Koehler for the following:
Killers of the Flower Moon / David Grann
In Killers of the Flower Moon,
David Grann focuses on what became know as the “Osage Reign of Terror.”
Officially taking place from 1920 through 1924, during this period members of
this Oklahoma Indian tribe began to be killed: some murdered outright, many
others dying under mysterious circumstances. Ineffectual, and often
incompetent, local law enforcement failed to make any headway in finding who
was responsible for the murders. This is not surprising since many were bribed
to turn a blind eye. Desperate, the Osage finally convinced the Federal Bureau
of Investigation to take on the case in 1924. Newly appointed as director of
the agency, a young J. Edgar Hoover was eager to do so, feeling that if the case
could be solved, it would bolster his credentials and win greater respect for
the Bureau at a time when it was still fairly new and poorly funded.
Grann
details the ensuing investigation, which reads like the plot of a first class
detective story. And typical of such stories, Killers of the Flower Moon has a surprising
twist even after the series of murders was seemingly solved.
This book
brings to light a shameful chapter in American history. It documents how the
lust to acquire the Osage wealth led highly respected members of the
surrounding white community to turn to murder to achieve their ends. This story
of blatant racism, greed, and corruption should be included in every school
textbook. Killers of the
Flower Moon is an indictment not only of the criminals
involved, but of an entire culture that fostered such an activity.
No comments:
Post a Comment