The Nord Stream Conspiracy

Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2026

The explosive inside story of the most daring act of sabotage in modern history

"Spectacular" — New York Times

"Wonderful" — David McCloskey

"Gripping" — Financial Times

"Outstanding" — Literary Review

"An absolute thriller" — Alastair Campbell

In September 2022, Scandinavian seismologists detected what seemed to be a huge undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption. These signals were caused by several devastating explosions that destroyed Nord Stream, the $20 billion pipeline carrying cheap Russian gas to Europe under the Baltic Sea. The mysterious blasts shifted global geopolitics, disrupted European economies and triggered a manhunt that strained relations within the NATO alliance.

Despite capturing the imagination of millions, the mystery of who blew up the pipeline has so far gone unsolved – was it the CIA? Was it part of the shadow war between Russia and the West? Could Putin himself have been behind it? Drawing on years of first-hand reporting and exclusive access to key players – including the saboteurs, the investigators and high-level intelligence – this deeply reported non-fiction thriller by an award-winning Wall Street Journal correspondent reveals the true story behind one of the most remarkable geopolitical mysteries of our time.

• A New York Times Editors' Choice
• A Financial Times Book to Look Out for in 2026