Empire of Pain
The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:3rd Mar '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This gripping narrative explores the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis, detailing their wealth and the devastating impact of OxyContin, as seen in Empire of Pain.
The Empire of Pain delves into the complex legacy of the Sackler family, whose name is synonymous with both immense wealth and the opioid crisis that has devastated countless lives. Through meticulous research and compelling narrative, Patrick Radden Keefe uncovers the story of Purdue Pharma, the company behind the blockbuster painkiller OxyContin. While the Sacklers were known for their philanthropic contributions to prestigious institutions, their role in the opioid epidemic reveals a darker side to their legacy.
As the narrative unfolds, readers are introduced to the three generations of the Sackler family, highlighting their involvement in the pharmaceutical industry and the marketing strategies that propelled OxyContin to success. This drug, while providing relief to many, became a catalyst for addiction, leading to a public health crisis that has claimed nearly half a million lives. The Empire of Pain paints a vivid picture of the tension between wealth, power, and responsibility, as it explores how the pursuit of profit can overshadow ethical considerations.
Keefe's work not only chronicles the rise of the Sacklers but also serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked corporate greed. With insights that resonate beyond the pages, Empire of Pain is a gripping account of a family whose legacy is forever intertwined with the suffering caused by their products. It is a masterclass in narrative nonfiction that leaves readers questioning the true cost of success.
There are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page * Sunday Times *
This is no dense medical tome, but a page-turner with a villainous family to rival the Roys in Succession, and one where every chapter ends with the perfect bombshell. * Esquire *
The story of the Sacklers and OxyContin is a parable of the modern era of philanthropy being deployed to burnish the reputations of financiers and entrepreneurs . . . [A] tour-de-force * Financial Times *
Put simply, this book will make your blood boil . . . 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 . . . a highly readable and disturbing narrative. -- John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood * New York Times Book Review *
An engrossing (and frequently enraging) tale of striving, secrecy and self-delusion . . . Even when detailing the most sordid episodes, Keefe’s narrative voice is calm and admirably restrained, allowing his prodigious reporting to speak for itself. His portrait of the family is all the more damning for its stark lucidity. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *
A true tragedy in multiple acts. It is the story of a family that lost its moorings and its morals . . . Written with novelistic family-dynasty and family-dynamic sweep, Empire of Pain is a pharmaceutical Forsythe Saga, a book that in its way is addictive, with a page-turning forward momentum. -- David M. Shribman * Boston Globe *
Explosive . . . Keefe marshals a large pile of evidence and deploys it with prosecutorial precision . . . Keefe is a gifted storyteller who excels at capturing personalities. * Washington Post *
An air-tight indictment of the family behind the opioid crisis . . . [an] impressive exposé -- Harriet Ryan * Los Angeles Times *
A damning portrait of the Sacklers, the billionaire clan behind the OxyContin epidemic . . . [Keefe] has a knack for crafting lucid, readable descriptions of the sort of arcane business arrangements the Sacklers favored. -- Laura Miller * Slate *
Keefe has a way of making the inaccessible incredibly digestible, of morphing complex stories into page-turning thrillers, and he's done it again with Empire of Pain . . . equal parts juicy society gossip and historical record. -- Seija Rankin * Entertainment Weekly *
- Winner of Baillie Gifford Prize 2021 (UK)
- Short-listed for Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year 2021 (UK)
ISBN: 9781529063103
Dimensions: 197mm x 130mm x 45mm
Weight: 391g
560 pages