Hmmm, Genghis has raised the bar! (report writing is my weak point!)
I have just finished "Adventures in the Air", by Maurice Patrick Rose' Meyer. ISBN 9781896582146. I bought it in person, at the local airport to Mr. Meyer's residence. It seems to be easily available at various sellers on the internet.
It is the life story of a flight test engineer, who worked in the UK, and later in Canada. The story goes somewhat beyond the bounds of flying, in presenting many life experiences in growing up as a youth in India, and retirement in Canada.
The core of the content centers on early and intense flight testing of UK types including the Shakleton, Canberra, Seamew, and later the deHavilland Twin Otter, Buffalo, and other DHC exprimental types.
The author goes into great detail in presenting some of his experiences, and provides ample backgorund explanation for the reader. Some of the stories relate to testing in extreme environments (high altitude, for example), and there is certainly enough peripheral information in the story to understand the situation, and put the whole thing in context.
The book obviously describes the life of a person, which includes more than just aviation. Though this may seem somewhat out of place, to the intended audience of those interested in aviation, it none the less draws the reader in to it being a life we are reading about, not just airplanes.
As the stories are presented from the perspective of the flight test engineer, as opposed to the pilot, there is a refreshing perspective. We pilots are reminded that there are other vital duties being carried out, while we are flying, and we are really there to support a team in reaching the objective.
Throughout the book, the stories flow in apparent chronological order, though seem "choppy" from time to time. An event, though correct in time, will be described in apparent isolation to those stories surrounding it.
I enthusiastically recommend this book to people involved in flight test. It will serve as a fine basis for helping one determine if testing is safe and appropriate, and if the depth of investigation is what it should be for the required evaluation. It would also be of particular value to those planning high altitude testing, though I expect that "tribal knowledge" (partly gained during the tests described, I'm sure) is well established amonge those doing such testing at this point.
All in all, well worth the read....