In the post-Cold War era of European integration and oligarchic Russian capitalism, the flow of natural gas is a critical component of the political economy of Eurasia. But despite the ongoing importance of Russian natural gas exports, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the decisions that - starting in the late 1960s - paved the way for large-scale imports into Europe. Drawing on extensive research in Russian and European archives, author Per Hogselius reveals how and why governments, businesses, engineers, and other actors sought to promote or prevent an extensive East-West natural gas regime that seemingly contradicted the fundamental logic of the Cold War. From the first tentative steps of the 1950s to the failed attempts of the US to sabotage Russian pipelines, Red Gas unveils a most remarkable case of cooperation and competition between the Soviet Union and the West.