On Friday evening, when bankers, traders and regulators in New York and London went home, most were probably expecting a rescue of Lehman Brothers to be put together over the weekend, and a relatively orderly return to business begin on Monday morning. When they returned to work on Monday, the fortunes of Lehman had almost become a sideshow

Many found themselves being hauled into work on Sunday to unwind their firm’s positions as Lehman, far from being rescued, approached bankruptcy.