Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2026

THE EXPLOSIVE INSIDE STORY OF THE MOST DARING ACT OF SABOTAGE IN MODERN HISTORY

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 spectacular feat of investigative journalism' NEW YORK TIMES
'Outstanding... a remarkable book' LITERARY REVIEW
'Gripping' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Like London Falling… an absolute thriller' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (The Rest is Politics)
'As compelling as a spy thriller' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026

© Bojan Pancevski 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026