Magnificent mansions. Soaring skyscrapers. Pioneering planes. Ruined runways. Ghastly graveyards. Local legends. Majestic mansions. Bloody battles. Peculiar pirates. Abandoned abodes.

Richard Panchyk's many books cover a wide array of fascinating, colorful topics. Lavishly illustrated with breathtaking vintage and current photographs, his books take the reader on a visual adventure of hidden history through time and place, revealing everything from long-lost locales to modern mysteries.

There's something for everyone here, from history's mysteries to baseball's best, from stunning aerial views to tales of buried treasure. Click here for more about Richard's books

Richard's latest book, The Beat of New York, is an exciting and colorful visual history of music in New York City. Check it out!

Born in Queens, New York, Richard Panchyk is the author of 55 books, featuring more than 5,000 illustrations and 700 interviews. His books, totaling over 6,000 pages, include 12 books in the "For Kids" series published by Chicago Review Press, 30 history books on New York City and Long Island, and three translations of 1930s German novels into English. His works can be found in library systems in all 50 states and 15 countries, and have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian, and Portuguese. Among the figures he has interviewed for his books are: Kurt Vonnegut, Rudy Giuliani, John Anderson, George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Edwin Meese III, Morley Safer, Ken Starr, Robert Morgenthau, Mario Cuomo, Carl Erskine, and Ralph Nader. Some of our most illustrious leaders have contributed forewords, introductions, and quotes for his books, including Former President Bill Clinton, Senators John McCain, Edward Kennedy, Bob Dole, and John Kerry, Governor Michael Dukakis, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Edward Cardinal Egan (former Archbishop of New York), and Reeve Lindbergh (Charles Lindbergh's daughter). His book World War II for Kids was named a Notable Book of 2003 by the National Council for the Social Studies.

Richard knew he wanted to be a writer by the age of seven. He wrote a four-page trivia book at the age of 9, and by the age of 13 had completed his first novel. He became enamored with writing and dreamed of becoming a publisher author. He won a prestigious NYC writing award while attending Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, which further encouraged him. In college, he was Editor-in-Chief of his student newspaper, for which he wrote more than 100 articles. He printed a small book of his poems at age 19, and published his first book at the age of 21. His burgeoning writing career soon took off, starting with a series of popular children's nonfiction books published by Chicago Review Press, and followed by dozens of local history books on New York City and Long Island.