Discover new books on Goodreads

Meet your next favorite book

Scott

Scott’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (2163)
currently-reading‎ (10)
read‎ (1135)
did-not-finish‎ (1)
fiction‎ (360)
history‎ (326)
non-fiction‎ (293)
american-history‎ (279)
politics‎ (279)
crime‎ (190)
historical-fiction‎ (145)
american-presidency‎ (142)

foreign-policy‎ (129)
fantasy‎ (121)
law‎ (116)
military‎ (102)
thriller‎ (93)
19th-century‎ (91)
comedy‎ (84)
biography‎ (82)
britain‎ (81)
espionage‎ (78)
religion‎ (78)
finance‎ (73)

russia‎ (70)
18th-century‎ (49)
criticism‎ (48)
cold-war‎ (46)
world-war-ii‎ (40)
horror‎ (37)
medieval-historical-fiction‎ (36)
noir‎ (35)
journalism‎ (34)
colonial‎ (29)
environment‎ (29)
france‎ (29)

american-revolution‎ (26)
graphic-novel‎ (26)
rome‎ (24)
middle-east‎ (23)
texas‎ (23)
historical-fiction-ancient‎ (22)
art‎ (20)
dragons‎ (20)
japan‎ (20)
travel‎ (20)
alternate-history‎ (19)
ancient-greece‎ (17)

Stats | More…

Scott is Currently Reading

Scott is currently reading

The Cold War Swap (Mac McCorckle, #1)

by Ross Thomas

bookshelves: espionage, fiction, cold-war, berlin, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in August 2012

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Scott said: " It's back-to-school time, and each year the newspapers run the story about what the incoming freshman college class "knows." For example, the freshman class of 2012 was likely born around 1994, so in addition to having Pierce Brosnan being their firs It's back-to-school time, and each year the newspapers run the story about what the incoming freshman college class "knows." For example, the freshman class of 2012 was likely born around 1994, so in addition to having Pierce Brosnan being their first James Bond and only seeing "Cheers" in reruns, these kids missed the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's difficult to explain to them the bizarre West Berlin situation - how to describe the dizzying clash of East Versus West in such a glorious city.

"The Cold War Swap" would be a perfect study aid.

Ross Thomas, correctly recognized as one of the Great Overlooked Writers, set his first novel in Bonn and Berlin, 1966. The Wall was up and tensions ran high. Our "hero" is McCorkle, a disenchanted American content to run his little bar in Bonn as the world dared the Cold War to turn hot. There is little Rick Blaine in McCorkle, and it's out of this buried sense of duty that he allows Padillo, a CIA operative, to force his way into a partnership with McCorkle in running the bar. McCorkle respected Padillo's long, unexplained absences and appreciated the air of intrigue it brought to the bar, and one senses that he envies Padillo's life of danger and duty in McCorkle's rare sober moments.

McCorkle gets the opportunity to put his life on the line thanks to a seeming chance meeting with the fat German Maas. Within hours of meeting Maas, a dead man lies on the floor of McCorkle's bar and he's off on an adventure to save Padillo, betrayed and trapped on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall.

Thomas writes with a hard-boiled style that is pitch-perfect for the dry McCorkle, who narrates the tale. This is perfect for the time, as cigarettes and liquor provide more nourishment than food and medicine. Linger over these passages, for Thomas has imbued them with humor and romance. His characters, even those who vanish all too soon, are full of life and wit, but be careful - Thomas is willing to kill off a promising young character in the middle of making his introductions, so you never know when a character will meet his end.

This is my first Ross Thomas book, but it will not be the last. Not many career authors write a book this good, and this was Thomas's debut. ...more "

progress:

(page 70 of 127)
— Nov 10, 2026 08:41PM

Nov 10, 2026 08:41PM · see review

Scott is currently reading

Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department

by Carol Leonnig

bookshelves: currently-reading, american-history, american-presidency, crime, history, law, non-fiction, politics

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

progress:

(page 68 of 492)
— Nov 03, 2026 01:22PM

Nov 03, 2026 01:20PM

Scott is currently reading

Borderland: A Journey through the History of Ukraine

by Anna Reid

bookshelves: currently-reading, history, non-fiction, russia

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

progress:

(page 77 of 272)
— Oct 23, 2026 05:15PM

Oct 23, 2026 05:14PM

See all 10 books that Scott is reading…

Scott’s Quotes

“Oh, please. Everyone in this town always says that, like you have to be born here to understand things. I understand plenty. You're only as weird as you want to be.”
― Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

904 likes