#1 in History
Empire of Pain
- 720
- Pages
- about 13 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 3 weeks on the list, peaked at #2
- Baillie Gifford Prize
- Goodreads Choice Award for Best History & Biography
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About the book
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty is a 2021 book by Patrick Radden Keefe. The book examines the history of the Sackler family, including the founding of Purdue Pharma, its role in the marketing of pharmaceuticals, and the family's central role in the opioid epidemic. The book followed Keefe's 2017 article on the Sackler family in The New Yorker, titled "The Family That Built an Empire of Pain".
Where the score comes from
The sources average 9.1 across 360 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 66% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the History average of 8.2. That is how 8.8 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.8 | 10 | 3% |
| Hardcover | 9.1 | 350 | 97% |
Frequently asked
What is Empire of Pain rated?
8.8 out of 10, from 360 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is Empire of Pain worth reading?
Readers give it 8.8/10 from 360 ratings in open sources.
How long does it take to read Empire of Pain?
About 13 hours at an average reading pace — 720 pages.
Where does Empire of Pain rank?
#1 in History on the current snapshot.
Was Empire of Pain a bestseller?
Yes — 3 weeks on the New York Times list, peaking at #2. Sales are shown here but never scored.
How long is Empire of Pain?
It has 720 pages — longer than 99% of the ranked books in History.
If you liked this
Same shelf — History — with scores between 8.7 and 9.0, closest to this book.
