The Bankers: How the Banks Brought Ireland to Its Knees by Shane Ross is an interesting read for anyone curious about the reasons behind Ireland’s economic crash. It provides a lot of background and insight to the stories that dominated the Irish media and is one of a number of books published in 2009 that explore the reasons for the collapse of the Irish economy. Shane Ross lays the blame with the bankers and also has harsh words for the regulators. The Bankers is a well-written, fast-paced read, liberally peppered with names that will be familiar to anyone who has read the Irish business pages over the last decade. At just under 300 pages, it covers a lot of ground, is eye-opening at times and will certainly leave you wiser.