House of Huawei cover art

House of Huawei

Shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2025

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £17.94

Buy Now for £17.94

About this listen

 The untold story of the mysterious company that shook the world

'Authoritative... a tale that sits at the heart of the most significant geopolitical relationship today' Financial Times

'Explosive' Sunday Times

'Groundbreaking' Dan Wang

'Riveting, robustly researched' TLS

'Essential reading' Chris Miller, author of Chip War

On the coast of southern China, an eccentric entrepreneur spent three decades steadily building an obscure telecom company into one of the world's most powerful technological empires with hardly anyone noticing. This all changed in December 2018, when the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies' female scion, sparked an international hostage standoff, poured fuel on the U.S.-China trade war, and suddenly thrust the mysterious company into the international spotlight.

In House of Huawei, Washington Post technology reporter Eva Dou pieces together a remarkable portrait of Huawei's reclusive founder Ren Zhengfei and how he built a sprawling corporate empire - one whose rise Western policymakers have become increasingly obsessed with halting. The book dissects the global web of power, money, influence, surveillance, bloodshed and national glory that Huawei helped to build - and that has also ensnared it.

Based on wide-ranging interviews and painstaking archival research, House of Huawei tells an epic story of familial and political intrigue that presents a fresh window on China's rise from third-world country to U.S. rival, and shines a clarifying light on the security considerations that keep world leaders up at night.

House of Huawei holds a mirror up to one of the world's most mysterious companies as never before. Business Politics & Government Professionals & Academics China War Imperial Japan Technology

Critic reviews

A gripping read charting the ascent of Huawei, China's tech powerhouse. Meticulously reported, Eva Dou's narrative combines geopolitics, spying and technological innovation with the human story of a former People's Liberation Army engineer who became a global business titan
Riveting, robustly researched
Explosive
Authoritative... a tale that sits at the heart of the most significant geopolitical relationship today
A comprehensive and instructive account of [Huawei's] rapid ascent to become 'China's most powerful company'... There's probably no better account of China's rise to economic dominance as seen through the prism of a single company
In House of Huawei, Eva Dou uncovers how Huawei has become China's most successful tech company-and a lightning rod for geopolitical competition. Based on unique interviews and deep research into the company's history, House of Huawei provides the most in-depth account of Huawei's rise and its complex and controversial connections to China's security state. House of Huawei is essential reading for understanding China's tech sector and the China-US tech competition
A groundbreaking work on China's most important company. More than online shopping or video apps, the Communist Party is obsessed with telecommunications networks, semiconductors, and surveillance systems. At last we have a book that unveils Huawei's deepest mysteries
Eva Dou's House of Huawei is an extraordinary feat of both reporting and historical research, providing an unprecedented look inside one of the world's most important companies. Huawei is now a central player in the technological contest between the US and China, and this book is a fascinating account of how it became so powerful-and so controversial
A revelatory deep dive into the company that sparked the US-China battle for technological supremacy. Vividly written, exhaustively researched, and packed with riveting inside-the-room details, House of Huawei is the most comprehensive account yet of China's leading tech giant. An indispensable resource for understanding Chinese state capitalism and how it fuels geopolitical competition
A timely, clear and undeniably worrying account
In House of Huawei, journalist Eva Dou has written a fascinating and sweeping history of the company and the key individuals behind the firm's success... Required reading for any serious student of US-China relations and the race to dominate the technologies of the future. A superb and nuanced summary of the good, the bad, and the ugly that characterizes the firm's history, and shows how the sausage was made with unflagging balance and fairness
A technology-policy reporter has parsed decades' worth of documents to piece together how Huawei's enigmatic founder rose from poverty to lead what is probably China's most powerful company
All stars
Most relevant
It’s a good insight into one of the largest technological firm in the world that influences lives of billion plus people. I was fascinated by a detailed description of Chinese economical and political system in which Huawei operates. It opened my curiosity to learn more about China and their technological sector as it’s clear Chinese tech may play massive role in 21st century.

Secret history of a secretive company

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
we only see what's on the outside, but inside there's so much more... amazing description of the life of Huawei and of the man who found the company. Amazing narration by the narrator. I dearly advice the hearing of this book.

the hidden worldin plain sight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Seems biased last 15 minutes just timelines! Not very “behind the scenes” I was expecting more detail and facts

Decent listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Just be careful with psychopath, that is not learning nothing, yet he is teachinh you, "as a psychopath", that, "you are not learning"

Great Book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I approached "House of Huawei" with high expectations, eager to delve into the narrative behind one of China's tech giants, Huawei, and its ascent in the global market, particularly in 5G technology. Unfortunately, the book fell short of providing the depth and balance I was looking for.

Eva Dou's work seems to lean heavily on a narrative of suspicion, focusing on Huawei's alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the government, rather than celebrating or even acknowledging the company's technological advancements. The book is filled with anecdotal hearsay, which does little to offer a comprehensive view of Huawei’s journey from a local startup to a global leader in telecommunications.

One of the most glaring omissions is the lack of discussion on Huawei's innovations in the tech sector. The book barely touches on the engineering feats and breakthroughs that have positioned Huawei at the forefront of 5G development. Instead, it seems to contribute to a narrative that demonizes Chinese companies, potentially skewing public perception without grounding in well-researched facts.

Moreover, the authenticity and closeness of the author's sources come into question. There's a noticeable absence of direct engagement with Huawei's founders or key figures, which would have lent credence and depth to the narrative. This reliance on second-hand information dilutes the book's impact and authenticity.

In comparison, one might look to authors like Walter Isaacson, who, in his biographies, manages to combine personal insight with a balanced perspective on the achievements and controversies of his subjects. Dou's book could have benefited from a similar approach, perhaps engaging more directly with those who shaped Huawei's story.

Overall, "House of Huawei" is a disappointing read for anyone looking for an insightful, balanced exploration of one of the world's leading tech companies. It serves more as a cautionary tale of how not to write about complex international businesses, especially in the context of global politics and technology.

Disappointing Dive into Huawei: A Missed Opportunity for Insight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.