Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book is "[m]ore a narrative of the complicated ups and downs of Deng's career than a searching portrayal or character study".
Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science that "There are long stretches with much more Party history than information about Deng.
"[10] Margaret Flanagan wrote in Booklist that "Since Deng Xiaoping's life literally parallels the course of modern Chinese history, this chronicle also provides a blueprint for comprehending the often arcane complexities of twentieth-century China.
"[5] Donald Zagoria of Foreign Affairs said that the book "will be a reliable and valued guide for years to come" and that it "is superbly researched, quite readable and extremely judicious in its assessments.
Yet it still requires "a great leap forward" before another account begins to gauge the full significance of this diminutive and influential old man.
"[17] Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science said that the author "writes clearly, accurately, and often insightfully but does not add much to what others have done.
"[18] Moody concluded that "This well-written study is probably useful for the general reader, someone interested in history or public affairs who wants a balanced overview of contemporary China and its rulers.
"[3] Louise do Rosario of the Far Eastern Economic Review said that the book "pales by comparison with" The New Emperors and that Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China "appears to have been written in haste.
"[19] The Economist stated that there was a large amount of difficulty in writing a biography of Deng since he was still ruling China, and that despite the fact that the author "has a fluent style, and offers some usefully crisp summaries" he "contributes little to an understanding of his subject's complexities" and "adds little to what we already know.