History · Business · True crime
Empire of Pain
Patrick Radden Keefe traces three generations of the Sackler family, from the immigrant brothers who built a fortune to the company that sold OxyContin. He shows how the drug fed the opioid epidemic.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 2019
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 560
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like long investigative nonfiction about money, power and corporate responsibility.
Skip this if you want a short read or find stories of institutional wrongdoing too bleak.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about Empire of Pain
- What is Empire of Pain about?
- Patrick Radden Keefe traces three generations of the Sackler family, from the immigrant brothers who built a fortune to the company that sold OxyContin. He shows how the drug fed the opioid epidemic.
- Who should read Empire of Pain?
- Read it if you like long investigative nonfiction about money, power and corporate responsibility. Skip it if you want a short read or find stories of institutional wrongdoing too bleak.
- How long and how fast is Empire of Pain?
- It is a medium-paced, long read of about 560 pages, first published in 2019.
- Does Empire of Pain have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Addiction, Death.
- Can I borrow Empire of Pain for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Empire of Pain; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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| Ebook | ||
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| Audiobook | ||
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