The Push

A Climber's Journey of Endurance, Risk, and Going Beyond Limits

By: Tommy Caldwell

Narrated by: Johnathan McClain

A New York Times Bestseller

A dramatic, inspiring memoir by legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell, the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite’s El Capitan

“The rarest of adventure reads: it thrills with colorful details of courage and perseverance but it enriches readers with an absolutely captivating glimpse into how a simple yet unwavering resolve can turn adversity into reward.” —The Denver Post

A finalist for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature

On January 14, 2015, Tommy Caldwell, along with his partner, Kevin Jorgeson, summited what is widely regarded as the hardest climb in history—Yosemite’s nearly vertical 3,000-foot Dawn Wall, after nineteen days on the route. Caldwell’s odds-defying feat—the subject of the documentary film The Dawn Wall to be released nationwide in September—was the culmination of an entire lifetime of pushing himself to his limits as an athlete.

This engrossing memoir chronicles the journey of a boy with a fanatical mountain-guide father who was determined to instill toughness in his son to a teen whose obsessive nature drove him to the top of the sport-climbing circuit. Caldwell’s affinity for adventure then led him to the vertigo-inducing and little understood world of big wall free climbing. But his evolution as a climber was not without challenges; in his early twenties, he was held hostage by militants in a harrowing ordeal in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Soon after, he lost his left index finger in an accident. Later his wife, and main climbing partner, left him. Caldwell emerged from these hardships with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. He set his sights on free climbing El Capitan’s biggest, steepest, blankest face—the Dawn Wall. This epic assault took more than seven years, during which time Caldwell redefined the sport, found love again, and became a father.

The Push is an arresting story of focus, drive, motivation, endurance, and transformation, a book that will appeal to anyone seeking to overcome fear and doubt, cultivate perseverance, turn failure into growth, and find connection with family and with the natural world.

Totally Rad!

Amazing autobiography! Experienced full range of emotions and left me more moto than my days in the military!

SO AMAZING!

I loved every second of it. Such a great story about the Dawn Wall and Tommy Caldwell’s life. Definitely a good listen!

Tommy Caldwell continues to create masterfully

This is not just a book about climbing, it's about perseverance, dedication, and real life experience told with an authentic voice. Tommy does an exquisite job regaling us with his life experiences and the lessons he has learned from them. It is truly inspiring to hear his story from his own perspective and it has allowed me to glean some measure of introspection in myself and how I view my goals in life.

great story,. great exposure as it gets involved.

it's a well written story about a man and his struggles: hindsight is great and though it's from a man in his 30's, it means a lot to man of similar age. I thank Tommy for his exposure and time spent on this project. We can all learn from each other.

I would give it 6 stars if I could!

Climber or not, this is a great read. Absolutely worth the time and money.
The story was much more in-depth than I anticipated, essentially starting from day 1 of Tommy’s life. It makes for a really great story.