As well as all the above mentioned (Stick & Rudder -all Richard Bach's flying books, Brian Lecomber's three novels) I suggest "Open Cockpit over Africa" by Victor Smith, one of the pioneers of Africain air-routes in the early thirties.
Fascinating reading. And to think us modern pilots get all excited about a two hour flight with VOR, NDB & GPS. Try flying across Africa Capetown to London with just a compass, at night, in a single engine open cockpit aeroplane!
AE