Wales and the USA: e-book celebrates transatlantic connections on Thanksgiving Day
27 November 2014
On American Thanksgiving Day, Thursday 27 November, a new e-book is launched to celebrate the relationship between Wales and the USA and the influence that the Welsh people had on shaping American history.
Y Ddraig a'r Eryr (The Dragon and the Eagle) tells the dramatic history of the Welsh in the United States of America. From the mythical legends of Madoc, through the harsh realities of war and social unrest, to the exploration of Welsh American identity in the 21st Century.
Written and produced by Colin Thomas, the enhanced e-book is a work by Thud Media and one of the projects of the S4C Digital Fund.
The e-book combines text with insightful archive sources – sound, video, images and maps. Cerys Matthews introduces each chapter of the history and the background music is provided by composer Evan Dawson.
Huw Marshall, S4C Digital Manager says, "This investment by the S4C Digital Fund highlights our desire to develop new platforms to present content, and in this case show how we can re-package content from the TV screen in a creative way for a digital platform. The hope is that by launching this initial title we can advance on the technology to adapt sound, text and video to entertain and educate audiences internationally."
The making of this enhanced e-book saw award-winning producer Colin Thomas take the step from TV to the world of publishing; "This was an exciting venture for me personally, to move from television production into making an enhanced e-book – the cutting edge of the new technology in publishing."
The company responsible for bringing the story alive, Thud Media, says; "Thud Media are excited to be involved in this collaborative venture with author and producer Colin Thomas to bring the story of ‘The Dragon and Eagle’ to life. The rich history of the Welsh in America in presented through text, videos, images and other interactive elements of this enhanced eBook."
The e-book is also available in English, with the title The Dragon and the Eagle, and both are available for download from the Apple App Store and Android Google Store.
