Belly Up : The Collapse of the Penn Square Bank

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable that this could happen
Review: Belly Up is the story of how a small bank located in a strip mall in Oklahoma City could cause the collapse of the giant Contentinal Illinois Bank, and the weakening of Seafirst, Chase and MichNat. Spanning locations from the gas fields of Oklahoma, the halls of Congress, a boardroom in Chicago, and the parking lot in front of Penn Square Bank, Zweig does an admirable job of weaving this saga through apt characterizations of the major players involved in this debacle. The effects of this bank's failure continue to be felt 20 years later and have shaped the banking industry as we know it today.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable that this could happen
Review: Belly Up is the story of how a small bank located in a strip mall in Oklahoma City could cause the collapse of the giant Contentinal Illinois Bank, and the weakening of Seafirst, Chase and MichNat. Spanning locations from the gas fields of Oklahoma, the halls of Congress, a boardroom in Chicago, and the parking lot in front of Penn Square Bank, Zweig does an admirable job of weaving this saga through apt characterizations of the major players involved in this debacle. The effects of this bank's failure continue to be felt 20 years later and have shaped the banking industry as we know it today.