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REGENT PRESS“S G Scott tells an entertaining and compelling story without obscuring an urgent message: The nuclear weapons industry has set us on a reckless and profoundly dangerous course that must somehow be reversed. A natural storyteller with a sly sense of humor, Scott deftly tempers that weighty message with breezy characters you can care about, romantic entanglements and an unsolved murder. It's an amazing accomplishment and a great read.”
“The Winged and Garlanded Nike? Mysterious title. A paean to athletic shoes? Not likely. An update of Greek mythology? Probably not. Edith Hamilton cornered that market eons ago. Ah, the typographically modest subtitle, which is easily overlooked, offers a clue: a “novel about the atomic age.” But this is 2008! Who wants to read a novel about the “atomic age”? How do you spell a-na-chro-nism? We’re in the iPod, instant-messaging, wind-power age – aren’t we?
But when I got to Nike– Wow! I had not expected an epic, but that’s what I got. The sweep of Nike is staggering – intrigue, cupidity, and murder spanning the decades, from gold-rush California to the modern high-tech, tract-houses, freeway-lovin’ Golden State. (And did I forget to mention serial adultery? What self-respecting epic would lack that?) But intrigue, quirky characters, greed, murder and even adultery are really just bits of spice in Nike. The novel is about how we humans came close to ending life on Earth as we know it, leaving the planet to beetles and corpses. And even worse, the 70,000 or so nuclear weapons that the United States and the Soviet Union were ready to throw at one another on, say, 10 or 12 minutes or so of sober reflection, went virtually unnoticed by most of us. As one of Nike’s characters puts it, when finally exposed to the arcana of America’s nuclear priesthood during a professional meeting: “From what I see and hear, the building is on fire and the goddamn ship is sinkin”!)
The good ship Global Civilization didn’t sink, but it came close to it many times during the Cold War. The survival of civilization was for decades largely a matter of chance . . figuratively, a roll of the dice. The readers of Nike will gain a keen appreciation of that.
In regard to nuclear war, things are better today – aren’t they? No argument. And yet Russia and the United States still have many thousands of nuclear warheads aimed at one another, ready to go at any moment. They are “de-targeted,” to be sure, but that’s more PR than reality. In a time of high tension, they can be re-targeted with a few mouse clicks. Will there be more times of “high tension.” That’s anyone’s guess. But consider this: the United States seems intent on starting up a new global arms race by building space-related weapons, even though virtually all of the world’s nations say that would be dangerously provocative. Déjà vu all over again.
In Ancient Greece, Nike was the winged goddess of victory. In Scott’s book, the Nike is the nuclear-tipped defensive missile system that ringed most of America’s cities in the early days of the Cold War. But it was widely understood at the time in the “expert community” as a Potemkin Village which make-us-all-feel-better sort of thing. In a shooting war, it would have been useless. In his novel, Scott makes it plain that the men and women who design and control America’s military policy are often wrong. Their policies must be continually cross-examined by real-world no-BS commonsense. And we, the people, are the ones who must exercise that commonsense. The Winged and Garlanded Nike is no anachronism. It challenges the reader. By better understanding the dynamics of the first Cold War, perhaps we can head off Cold War II.”
“Well, I finally read The Winged and Garlanded Nike and I think it is fantastic!!!!!!! The story is great, character development terrific, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the structure: 1955, Intermezzo, 1986, and Epilogue. The use of the Intermezzo with its yearly snippets was inspired. I am amazed at your breadth of knowledge concerning geography, biology, nuclear matters, etc. etc. Have you thought to try to sell it as a movie? I can easily imagine a very good one.”
“This novel could stand alone as a compelling story of life in a small town in the California Sierra foothills during the Fifties and eighties and the town's transition from small hamlet to thriving community, often with troubling consequences. But the novel does much more. The overriding theme deals with how nuclear missile technology affects both the local residents and the entire country. When the story moves from 1955 to 1986, the common wisdom begins to change. What was initially perceived as benign and beneficial research has evolved into a fire-breathing and unstoppable monster. The author brilliantly and convincingly captures this transition which can move readers to reevaluate what we accept as a reasonable defense policy. The characters and their relationships, for better or worse, are well-drawn. Unexpected twists and turns add to the reader's pleasure.”
“This is a remarkable novel with lots of dramatic and fun things going on, apart from The Messages. I couldn't believe how GOOD it was, even when I first saw it. For someone who wasn't a Lit major in college and pursued a writing career, you really did a bang-up job. Far better than most people, even professional writers, could have done.”
“If we had to characterize The Winged and Garlanded Nike in one word – it’s ‘brilliant.’ Like any great novel on this subject, you teach us so much about the atomic era we all, luckily, lived through. Characterizations are believable and extraordinary. I was amazed at your excellent and interesting choice of words and dialogue. A little slow starting for me, but it soon, by page 28, became a page turner. Becky had no trouble following all the characters. She reads more novels than I do and she was enthralled. Congratulations.”
“Having worked in the high-pressure aerospace/defense industry through the Cold War years, with neither the time nor resources to fully comprehend "the big picture," I was eager to read Scott's novel. Woven into the multi-threaded plot are believable characters whose lives are forever changed (as mine was) when a defense plant comes to their bucolic California town. Scott skillfully works in the politics and economics that prompted the greatest mobilization of advanced weaponry since World War 2. These were hellish systems that could have precipitated a nuclear war that no one could win and which could end all life on earth. Bravo, Scott, for portraying so accurately the life that so many of us lived. “Nike" flawlessly recaptures the era when we all ran like lemmings to the nuclear brink. A native Californian, with a fine sense of history, Scott draws allusions between the greed of the Gold Rush, which decimated the countryside, and the motives of profit-driven defense industries, where many of us worked, heedless of the consequences of our actions at many levels.”
“I have read Nike and liked it. I found it entertaining with well-etched characters and some memorable scenes. Many good images and rich use of words. Congratulations on a work well crafted.”
“For several days we’ve have been trying to create the perfect review for this wonderful book (which, by the way, scared the daylights out of me) and have decided that no eloquence here is going to create what you need. Instead, we would like to offer some suggestions that reflect some of the things we observed in 11 years in the book business. The key of course is publicity and a favorable review is an absolute must and we think the Chronicle is the perfect starting place. I have no doubt that the quality of your story and its relevance today will easily get your foot in the door. When you think of the tens of thousands of people from SF to ‘Fernville’ who prospered from the DOD gold rush, the book should have wide appeal.”
“Having worked for an aerospace company during the early time period of NIKE, I can say that Scott hits the mark in his description of that environment and the people involved, and he does it with wit, humor and a great command of the language. The book is a Cleverly entwined tale of the cold war, the reverse California gold rush, murder and just the right amount of requited and unrequited love (or lust). It slyly mesmerizes the reader, holding his attention, and while thought provoking about the cold war, often evokes chuckles as well as outright laughter.”
“I got THE BOOK, I read THE BOOK, I loved THE BOOK! The development of the characters was excellent, the prose superb, the story line outstanding and coherent, and I thoroughly enjoyed my nostalgic trip back in time to those heady days of do-or-die in the aerospace and science rackets. I was especially enthralled with Professor Dick Hervey, feeling a kinship with him as my career also kind of stumbled along in the shadows, one jump ahead of being fired. I too stood in the desert at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site and watched man's folly devastate the cactus and crawly creatures as the bombs burst from atop towers or dropped from the skies. You did a great job with this novel. I await your second novel with great anticipation, if we survive the Nuclear age with the bomb's proliferation all over the world! Perhaps we should check with Austin Cooper to see if he has any of those "tanks" still for sale. Congratulations on a great book!”
“I finished The Winged and Garlanded Nike a few weeks ago. You did a great job. Congratulations”
“You already know that I liked your Nike from the beginning. You included a number of real characters (Ted Taylor, e.g.) which appealed to me. But it was the ones you invented that I really enjoyed. You did a superb job of keeping track of their individual characteristics and their narratives. And you are a master at dialogue. Even with very literary authors I admire there is a tendency to get lazy and have everyone talking alike after a while. You were always attentive. Almost all the characters were fully developed, so important when the novel is a long saga. I identified the most with Hervey, though empathized with Wickware. I got attached to the Vista restaurant and was sorry when it disappeared. I was also sorry that Alice lost interest in sex and romance with Hervey, for they were a promising couple. Lots of amusing dialogue. I didn't find the book quirky, as one blurbist did, but often very funny.
You obviously did an enormous amount of research to get the facts, the details, and the ambiance of the times just right. While not intrusive, this was reassuring. Occasionally an historical novel will hit a wrong note and trust is violated. Your political and technological history sounded right on track, and even the invented history of Fernville held up to scrutiny.”
“This is a compelling story of human folly, of a small California town made over by the 49'ers and again, a century later, by the nuclear weapons industry, as the cold war evolved from one technological advance to another. It is compelling because we share the little and very big frustrations, hopes and worries of the people we come to know. In my experience they are very real people.”
“In his novel, S G Scott skillfully integrates the technical aspects of the associated technologies and the human experiences from a pallet of personal associations, as he presents an intriguing journey which provided the fuel for a controversial ‘post-cold war’ resolution.”
“Marty, John and I enjoyed the book very much! But the caste of characters paled alongside some of the Marquardt ones back in the fifties, namely Roy Marquardt and his wife, who passed out and was finally discovered at 4:AM in the morning (after one of those big parties) in our bathtub! We were so impressed with your writing talent. I totally agree with those comments that you "wrote with humor and precision." We also agree with Berrigan's quote in the Epilogue that "nuclear weapons are the scourge of the earth." It sure makes you wonder about the future of our grandchildren and our two Great Grandchildren. Thanks for that very interesting read!!!”
“Very enjoyable read. Fernville, a small town out of the way with its own history, mysteries and cast of characters meets the driving forces of a Defense Department contractor. I found the Fernville stories most engaging. The town’s characters were all caught up in the drama of their own personal lives and were little affected by the larger story of a possible nuclear holocaust. Dick Hervey and Alice added more real heat in Fernville than all the nuclear testing in the remoteness of the distant desert! For some, the struggle to survive ones own life problems (gambling) was more overwhelming than the threat of the bomb. But in the end the nuclear issues were the important story.”
“An amazing book by an unknown author. S. G. Scott has written a compelling novel with great, great characters (I fell in love with Alice)----love, greed, crime, and most important a gradual unveiling of the atrocity of today's nuclear threats to the world. The book was a great surprise and well worth reading.”
“I have read your book and found it to be a reality trip through the past. I enjoyed the story and the multiple plots nicely woven together. The memories it recalled were fascinating. It also made me think about the roll nuclear armaments have played in the presidential election. There is some talk about nuclear proliferation, but none that I have seen about the huge arsenals and delivery vehicle capacity around the world. It is like we have gotten used to it. Pretty dangerous. Thanks for writing the book.”
“S.G. Scott's “The Winged and Garlanded Nike” is a remarkable debut novel that skillfully explores the Cold War military expansion and its effects on California from the 1950s to the 70s. Scott interweaves California's Gold Rush history with the rise of missile-building projects and massive Defense Dept. spending, showing how these forces shaped California economically and demographically, while simultaneously despoiling the environment. This is a sensitively written book that affords many delights. The characters are deftly sketched, each speaking in his own well-differentiated manner. Scott uses frequent touches of wit and dry humor. His protagonist is college professor Richard Hervey, who serves as a vantage point from which the reader clearly sees the pitfalls of the bomb-building era. Nike is an engrossing and engaging novel complete with romance, mystery, seduction, betrayal, corruption and the growth and transformation of several characters. But it is more than this - it is a rare glimpse into a hugely important era in American life, and as such, doubly rewards the reader.”
“A few weeks ago I began reading “The Winged and Garlanded Nike” over Thanksgiving weekend and I couldn’t put it down. You wrote a great novel and I enjoyed the entire story and every story within the story. The characters were fun and interesting. You’ve motivated me to revisit the White Mountains and the Bristlecone Pines. Great Job!”
“I bought two copies of “The Winged and Garlanded Nike” and I wondered if the subject matter scared the author as he wrote it, as much as it did me as I read it.”
“A stunning portrayal of what it was like in the 50's as the world tried to grasp the meaning of this new global threat and the dire consequences of its use. Scott has vividly described the interworkings of the Military-Industrial Complex. His characters are real human being working on the real challenges of life at a time when there was real (to some perceived) danger to the world they knew. He takes the town of Fernville from its inception as a "gold rush" town to its state as a "uranium rush" town. Interweaving plot and subplot concerning the history of the community, he introduces the typical range of characters who we would expect to find in such a setting. But the underlying pulse is the metaphysical throbbing of what is the correct thing to do in this lifetime with the talents I have and the threat to the life I think I should be living? What is my purpose here and what is the legacy I want to leave for my descendants? Scott does not answer these questions. He leaves it up to each of us. We finish the novel as we lead our lives. No solutions just more challenges. It is so real. It is so good!!! A must read for those who want to understand how we find ourselves faced on a daily basis with the mantra of "doing the correct thing - making the correct decisions." As a military officer involved in the affairs of a nuclear military world, "Nike" takes me back to many scenes of my own life. It portrays the real people. After the "Intermezzo," Scott puts us face-to-face with the challenges of the SDI program and all of its uncertainties. Many of us know SDI was the correct approach but many others found it alarming. As we leave Fernville, we are mentally perplexed with the uncertainty of the future. Read the "Nike"! You will be much better for it!!"
“I enjoyed reading and re-reading your Gold Rush to the Atom novel. It takes awhile to get to know the varied cast of characters, but it’s worth it in the end. Your knowledge of working conditions, sex, politics, California history and geography is impressive. - - You wound up on the side of the angels, but for awhile, it was touch and go!”
“Your note in which you described yourself as having been a ‘mid-level engineer’ amazes me. Astonishes me. Awes me. Maybe I’m loading it on a bit thick, but Nike suggests that it was written by someone with tons of varied high-level experience. That you could invent those story lines and details that ring so true is quite a feat. If I wore a hat, I would tip it to you.”
“What you never knew about the cold war and beyond! An eye-opening glimpse into the heretofore murky world of the atomic age. Should be read, not only as an historic novel, but as a viewpoint of the current world-wide precipice. The thought of 25,000 armed and aimed nuclear warheads should scare the hell out of all of us!”
“This book warrants careful attention. The development of the tale is based on existing facts, both in the near present and in the recent history of the State of the Union and the State of California. Engrossing plot and character development reveal a thoughtful and caring author who knows intimately both the foothills of the Gold Rush activities and the Atomic Era coming of age. The meaning of the symbols of the Winged and Garlanded Nike become apparent as the reader is more and more involved in the intricacies of the plot.”