Empire of Pain
Walk through the hallowed halls of Harvard, the Louvre, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art and you'll likely spot the Sackler name etched somewhere prominent. For decades, the family projected an image of cultured philanthropy, their vast fortune funding galleries and academic institutions across the world. The origins of that wealth, however, tell a far darker story. Patrick Radden Keefe, the award-winning journalist behind the Wind of Change podcast, traces three generations of the Sackler dynasty and their central role in bringing Valium, OxyContin, and ultimately a full-blown opioid crisis to the world. Close to half a million people have died as a result of that epidemic. This book asks, with forensic patience, how it happened and who bears responsibility. Keefe's reporting is exhaustive without ever feeling heavy. The prose pulls you forward with the momentum of a thriller, each revelation sitting just slightly outside what you thought possible from people operating in plain sight. 'Jaw-dropping,' said the Sunday Times. 'You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much,' added The Times. Both verdicts feel earned. Winner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and one of Barack Obama's favourite reads of that year, Empire of Pain is ultimately a parable about dynastic greed and the human cost buried beneath charitable reputations. Compelling, troubling, and very hard to put down.
- Author: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Publisher: Picador
- Genre: Industry-Specific Business
- ISBN: 978-1529063103
- Pages: 560 pages