I eagerly tore into The fall of northern rock - being excited to read a book from a British bank insider. However, this book disappointed my expectations at every turn.



Far from an executive with access to insider information, it turns out that Brian Walters is nothing more than an uninteresting middle manager in a Leeds branch. Walters, a 36 year banking vet, writes in an somewhat awkward style that fails to assemble a series of talking points into a readable story.



Given his lack of altitude in the organization, it's not surprising that the book offers few insider details. Those few thrown in are often trivial. Most of the research for the book comes from public sources such as newspapers and public inquiries.



The book offers nothing that mainstream media hasn't picked up on.



On the plus side, its a quick read.



(Overall rating half of one star out of five.)