Chip War

About the book

Chris Miller traces how a small device became the foundation of military power and economic life. The book follows the industry from early transistor work through the rise of American, Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean and Chinese manufacturers, showing how design, fabrication and equipment split across borders.

Miller's central argument is that semiconductors are strategic goods, not ordinary trade. He connects corporate decisions to state policy, describing export controls, subsidies and supply-chain dependencies as instruments of rivalry. The narrative moves between company histories and government strategy, giving readers a picture of how production capacity became a measure of national strength.

The result is a business and policy history rather than a technical manual. It explains enough about fabrication and chip design to make the stakes legible, then concentrates on the competition among firms and states for advantage in that industry.

How to read it

Approach the book as a chronological industry history with a policy argument running through it. Pay attention to how each company's choices about manufacturing location and specialization shaped later vulnerabilities. The recurring theme is interdependence: efficiency gains came with dependence on a few suppliers and regions.

The prose is accessible to general readers, and the material is dense with companies, executives and agencies. Keep track of the main firms and their roles, since names recur across chapters. Readers wanting engineering detail will need other sources; this book stays with strategy, finance and politics.

Who it suits

Readers who follow technology policy, international trade or industrial strategy will find a coherent account of why chip supply chains matter to governments. Business readers interested in how firms built and lost advantage will get concrete company histories. General readers wanting to understand headlines about export controls and fabrication plants will find useful context without a technical background.

Reading considerations

The book reflects the situation around its 2022 publication, so later policy changes and industry shifts are not covered. Its focus on rivalry can underplay quieter factors such as research funding and talent pipelines. Test the argument against specific cases: not every strategic industry follows the same pattern of state intervention and corporate response.