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Empire of Pain
- The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
- Narrated by: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
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One of the most interesting books I’ve listened too
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Publisher's Summary
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.
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)
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What listeners say about Empire of Pain
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Missamity
- 03-05-2021
Fascinating and impressive
Careful and meticulous reporting makes this story of corporate greed and personal indifference to suffering both fascinating and horrifying. Very impressive.
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3 people found this helpful
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- James M
- 04-05-2021
Fantastic book
Fascinating read, meticulously researched and shines a light on the shameful legacy of the Sackler family. The author does a great job narrating as well. Highly reccomended!
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2 people found this helpful
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- kn kells
- 03-05-2021
astute and relevant
Recommended by John Oliver and I absolutely loved it. Just the right balance of personal stories and facts. So very relevant in the current political climate. The author is an excellent narrator. His tone and cadence adds weight and solemnity to the topic without adding hysteria or derision.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ingrid Weiss
- 29-09-2023
Money Buys Entitlement and Judgements
A truly amazingly detailed explanation of the growth of corruption in the guise of innovation and science via one family dynasty in our modern day. The loss of human life due to the consequences of idol pursuit: money, fame, power and honour are surreal but true. This book is a page turner of truth and vindication for all those who lost dear ones via the Sackler win at all cost life game.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ali
- 21-02-2023
Great story telling while making sure everything is fact checked
It’s not easy to write such an intriguing story on a difficult subject like this. I also liked the angle the author took, to focus on the history of the family and the steps which led to the crisis. Highly recommended!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Robert Hallett
- 07-01-2022
A great audiobook!!
I have over 100 books in my library, but this is one of the best. It kept me riveted in my seat. It was well written and wonderfully read. A fantastic piece of investigative journalism. Thank you.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Dlutchy
- 23-12-2021
A story that made me angry
Patrick Radden Keefe does an amazing job in researching, writing and reading this story.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ann Mader
- 14-12-2021
No legacy is so rich as honesty - Shakespeare.
A fantastic listen, this book is beautifully written, read and researched.
Thought provoking, highly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Declan
- 22-08-2021
Pulitzer material
This is a fabulous work of journalism and a thrilling story. It's as well written and gripping as it is thoroughly researched, nuanced and breathtaking for what it reveals about power, greed, and the failure of institutions.
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- Peter H Brownlee
- 18-07-2021
Great Story
Very impressive As a pharmacist I have witnessed the OxyContin impact firsthand Congratulations to all involved
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