[HBR] Tube history/usage summary?

[George N2APB]

I¹ve been actively following this group for a year, and have recently ramped
up my collection of parts for the HBR-16 and the mating HBT-200
transmitter(*).  Thanks to all of you for the expert guidance along the way,
and I¹m now ready to dive in big-time on the construction! Currently cutting
the panels of a couple old R75A-4 cabinets, and putting holes into the
aluminum chassis.

But here¹s a general dilemma I find myself in ... I know transistors like
the back of my hand, but the experience of: which tubes are newer/older,
what tubes are better for this or that, what tube characteristics are really
important or not, what tube is subject to parasitics more or less, et al ...
is all a part of history that I¹ve missed out on over the years.  I started
out with tubes as a novice in the late 60¹s, but the world quickly
transitioned to semiconductors and most hams like me just stayed with them
going forward.  

I¹m an active EE and an over-active homebrewer, so the older technology
doesn¹t bother me at all ­ it¹s actually rather refreshing because most of
the principles are the same and haven¹t changed (gain, noise, amplification,
detection, IMD, LOs, et al) ­  but the nuances of tube utilization really
haven¹t been chronicled other than by piecemeal fashion in individual
project articles or intro sections of older Handbooks.

So here¹s my question ... Is there a recommended book, article series, or
whatever, that might categorize, classify, group or explain tubes and
characteristic used in different applications? It¹s not the published tube
parameters in the data sheet, but the usage and experience of one¹s use over
another.  What brings me to this point is Walt¹s KJ4KV recent good post
about differences with similar tubes (6J5 vs. 6BZ6, 6AF4, etc.).  I can, and
have been, reading ER, old handbooks and QST articles until I¹m (happily)
blue in the face, but that¹s the piecemeal approach that I mentioned being
all that I¹ve found.

Thanks for any guidance, guys.

73, George N2APB

*  Thanks much to Charles McLaughlin for spotting my post several weeks back
in search of the HBT-200 article.  It was in the Orr handbook (17th Edition)
and it was exactly what I was searching for!