
The Nord Stream Conspiracy
The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World
Bojan Pancevski(Author)
Hutchinson Heinemann (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 18. June 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-5291-5545-7 (ISBN)
Description
The explosive inside story of the most daring act of sabotage in modern history: the bombing of the $20 billion Nord Stream Pipeline. Written by the award-winning Chief European Political Correspondent of the Wall Street Journal
'Like London Falling... an absolute thriller'
ALASTAIR CAMPBELL, The Rest is Politics
'Totally fascinating'
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE
'Truly riveting'
PETER FRANKOPAN
'Jaw-dropping'
RORY CARROLL
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 FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026
'Like London Falling... an absolute thriller'
ALASTAIR CAMPBELL, The Rest is Politics
'Totally fascinating'
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE
'Truly riveting'
PETER FRANKOPAN
'Jaw-dropping'
RORY CARROLL
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 FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026
Reviews / Votes
Totally fascinating and deeply researched... Both a fantastic read and an important work of investigation * Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The World * Like London Falling... an absolute thriller * Alastair Campbell, The Rest is Politics * Pancevski has plucked from the Baltic depths a pearl of a story. In parts it reads like a Jason Bourne thriller except it's all true - a shadow world brought into the light. The result is jaw-dropping * Rory Carroll, Sunday Times bestselling author of Killing Thatcher * A truly riveting account of the most notorious act of sabotage in modern history. A real-life page turner * Peter Frankopan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silk Roads * All the elements of a fictional thriller - except it really happened. A heady mixture of Machiavellian geopolitics, storm-lashed seas, a rag-tag collection of flawed yet heroic characters and a glamorous diver called Freya. I can already see the blockbuster movie * Rory Clements, Sunday Times bestselling author of Munich Wolf * Here is a powerful detective story that finally and definitively answers the question who blew up Nord Stream. Not only is it brilliant journalism, but it reads like a bestselling thriller * Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and bestselling author * A classic... With a keen journalist's eye for detail and a movie director's sense of pacing, Pancevski tells one hell of a story. You won't want to put this book down * Fiona Hill, former intelligence official and Russia advisor to President Trump * An absolutely extraordinary book... Combining the skills of a detective with those of a novelist, Pancevski has not only uncovered the truth about one of the most daring acts of sabotage in modern history but done so with the page-turning propulsion of a first-rate thriller. One of those rare books that informs even as it wholly entertains * Scott Anderson, author of the New York Times bestseller King of Kings * One of the most significant and riveting journalistic scoops of the twenty-first century. Through exclusive interviews, Pancevski reveals the definitive account of a daring mission brimming with secrets, saboteurs, and spies. This is investigative storytelling at its finest - relentlessly fast-paced, meticulously reported, and an absolute page-turner * Richard Kerbaj, author of The Secret History of the Five Eyes * A cinematic and compelling account of one of history's greatest acts of sabotage. Unlike much of what's been said by politicians and commentators on the attack, The Nord Stream Conspiracy has the added benefit of being true * Ben Smith, author of Traffic *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cornerstone
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 241 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
556 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5291-5545-7 (9781529155457)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
approx. 06/2026
Penguin (Cornerstone)
€14.99
Not yet available

Book
approx. 06/2026
Hutchinson Heinemann
€22.50
Available immediately
Person
Bojan Pancevski is the award-winning Chief European Political Correspondent of the Wall Street Journal, covering European and global affairs. He produces major investigations, agenda-setting scoops, analyses of politics and diplomacy, and deeply reported features. Before joining the WSJ, he covered Europe for The Times and the Sunday Times. He has won journalism awards in Britain, the U.S. and Germany, and was part of the Journal's team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for International Reporting in 2025. He is fluent in several European languages, including German and Russian.