Empire of Pain
The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
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Empire of Pain
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Radden Keefe
About this listen
The gripping and shocking story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The inspiration behind the Netflix series Painkiller, starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick. Read by the author, Patrick Radden Keefe.
Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
A BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week'
Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction
One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books
The Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions – Harvard; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Oxford; the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people.
In this masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, award-winning journalist and host of the Wind of Change podcast Patrick Radden Keefe exhaustively documents the jaw-dropping and ferociously compelling reality. Empire of Pain is the story of a dynasty: a parable of twenty-first-century greed.
©2021 Patrick Radden Keefe (P)2021 Penguin Randomhouse LLCListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Put simply, this book will make your blood boil...Keefe...paints a devastating portrait of a family consumed by greed and unwilling to take the slightest responsibility or show the least sympathy for what it wrought." (John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood, in the New York Times)
"Jaw-dropping.... Beggars belief." (Sunday Times)
"You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much." (The Times)
What listeners say about Empire of Pain
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- P Negroni
- 02-07-21
Brilliant Exposé of the Opioid Villains
Fascinating account of the rise and fall of the Sackler family dynasty and their toxic 'Oxycontin' legacy.
Engrossing. As with "Say Nothing" (available free on Libby!) Radden Keefe is in brilliant form and I can't wait for his next project. Five stars.
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- Anonymous User
- 25-02-22
Reads like a thriller.
I went in to this book a bit green of the scale of the opioid crisis in America, makes one look at pharma companies very differently, it’s a fascinating read.
Congratulations to all involved.
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- M W Gibbs
- 08-09-21
A great piece
A great piece of investigative journalism presented in an excellent narrative which, although very disturbing, is an enthralling listen. Think the TV series “Succession”.
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-02-22
Riveting from start to finish
I found this story fascinating & incredibly well told & I highly recommend you read or listen.
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- francis finn
- 27-09-21
Absolutely amazing read
I really enjoyed this book very shocking but unsurprising to see the greed that basically killed thousands of people
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- Anonymous User
- 22-06-21
Exceptional. Meticulous research, brilliantly told
“Watching you testify makes my blood boil. I’m not sure that I’m aware of any family in America that’s more evil than yours.”
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- Janet P
- 04-07-22
Amazing
Unbelievably cogent story of an American dynasty that was brilliantly researched. I couldn’t put this down.
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- Ash
- 09-03-22
Enthralling
Such an interesting read/listen. Highly recommend. Well researched and explained in a fascinating story.
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- katja faber
- 24-12-22
A must-read audio book
An absolute must-read for anyone interested in the Purdue / Sackler corrupt and vile business dealings.
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- polkadot
- 16-01-23
Fascinating tale of greed
Intriguing; first establishing the family background, how they created their wealth, the impact on their family life and the abhorrent decisions made when financial gain was pursued at any cost. Held my interest throughout and highly recommend. Great, clear narration. A story that needs to be told. Condolences to the many families whose lives have been devastated by Sackler drugs.
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