Where to Start Reading David Grann
David Grann has earned a reputation as one of the finest narrative nonfiction writers of our time. By blending rigorous investigative journalism with the page-turning pacing of a thriller, he unearths forgotten histories and human obsessions. Because all of his works are standalone true stories, you do not need to follow a strict chronological sequence. Instead, your choice of where to start depends on what kind of journey you want to take.
For the definitive David Grann experience, start with Killers of the Flower Moon (2017). This masterpiece represents the peak of his investigative abilities, exposing the chilling conspiracy of the Osage Indian murders in the 1920s. If you prefer high-seas adventure, mutiny, and psychological survival, begin with The Wager (2023). For readers who enjoy episodic storytelling or want to sample his shorter profiling style, his anthology The Devil and Sherlock Holmes (2010) is the perfect introduction.
David Grann Books in Publication Order
While his books can be read in any sequence, tracing David Grann's bibliography in order of publication shows his growth from a dedicated magazine reporter into a master of cinematic historical Epics. Here is how his major works unfolded:
1. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (2009)
Grann's debut book grew out of his fascination with Percy Fawcett, a legendary British explorer who vanished in 1925 along with his son while searching for an ancient civilization in the Amazon rainforest. Grann does not just report on the archives; he actually travels into the Amazonian wilderness himself to retrace Fawcett's steps. The result is a dual narrative that examines the history of exploration, Fawcett's descent into madness, and Grann's own struggles against the deadly jungle.
2. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession (2010)
This collection compiles twelve of Grann's most popular long-form articles originally written for The New Yorker and other publications. The essays cover an eclectic range of subjects, from a mysterious death in the Sherlock Holmes enthusiast community to a prison gang leader, an art authenticator, and a hunt for the giant squid. It is an excellent showcase of Grann's recurring theme: human obsession.
3. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (2017)
Grann spent years researching this landmark investigation. In the 1920s, members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma became the wealthiest people per capita in the world after oil was discovered beneath their land. Soon, they began dying under mysterious circumstances. Grann unmasks the widespread, systemic conspiracy that targetted the Osage people, while also documenting how a newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by a young J. Edgar Hoover, took on the case.
4. The Old Man and the Gun: And Other Tales of True Crime (2018)
Released to coincide with the film adaptation starring Robert Redford, this short anthology highlights some of Grann's best true-crime profiles. The title piece, which originally ran in The New Yorker in 2003, details the life of Forrest Tucker, an aging, polite bank robber who escaped from prison eighteen times. The book also includes other gripping short tales of criminals and investigators operating on the fringes of society.
5. The White Darkness (2018)
This short, visually striking volume was expanded from a New Yorker article. It follows Henry Worsley, a retired British Special Forces officer who was obsessed with the early 20th-century explorer Ernest Shackleton. The book documents Worsley's perilous journeys across Antarctica, culminating in his tragic 2015 attempt to cross the frozen continent completely alone and unsupported. The printed book features dozens of historic and modern photographs that help bring the desolate polar landscape to life.
6. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder (2023)
Set in the 1740s, this epic centers on a British warship, His Majesty's Ship the Wager, which was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. When a small group of survivors made it back to Brazil months later, they were greeted as heroes. However, when another group of survivors arrived on a different shore, they told a far darker tale of tyranny, anarchy, and mutiny. Grann pieces together the conflicting court-martial testimonies to deliver a thrilling, multi-layered trial narrative.
What to Know Before You Start
David Grann's background as a staff writer for The New Yorker (since 2003) shapes his literary style. He writes with absolute commitment to factual accuracy, relying heavily on primary sources, diaries, court filings, and on-the-ground reporting. Despite being entirely factual, his prose flows with the momentum of fiction.
Readers should also be aware of the adaptations and alternative editions of his books. Killers of the Flower Moon was adapted into an acclaimed 2023 film by Martin Scorsese, starring Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio. The book is also available in an official Adapted for Young Readers edition (released in 2022), which softens some of the graphic violence to make this critical piece of American history accessible to students aged 10 and up. Additionally, film rights to The Wager have been optioned, with Scorsese and DiCaprio attached to adapt the maritime saga.