The Push cover art

The Push

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

 Preview

Audible Standard 1-month free trial

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo + applicable tax after 30-day trial. Cancel Anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

The Push

Written by: Tommy Caldwell
Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $28.19

Buy Now for $28.19

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. Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Outdoors & Nature Personal Development Personal Success Sports Adventure Memoir Extreme Sports Rock Climbing

You may also enjoy...
North cover art
North Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
A Light Through the Cracks cover art
A Light Through the Cracks Written by: Beth Rodden
Moving the Needle cover art
Moving the Needle Written by: Dave MacLeod
Alone on the Wall (Expanded Edition) cover art
Alone on the Wall (Expanded Edition) Written by: Alex Honnold, and others
Beyond the Trees cover art
Beyond the Trees Written by: Adam Shoalts
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most Relevant
C'est inspirant et enlevant! Même si vous ne faites pas d'escalade, ce livre vous charmera!

push

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am a climber and I’ve looked up to Tommy Caldwell as a kind of role model since I first saw him in the movie Progression (2009). In that movie he was just starting the Dawn Wall project. This book is the long-awaited answer to the question: can it be climbed? Obviously, the answer is yes. But there’s more to it than that! He tells a story of fatherhood, love, and loss that is told from the point of view of someone with an admirable attitude on life. A stellar read!

Climbers will love this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listened to it on my 10 hour drive. I didn’t want the drive to end so I could keep listening. Lots of really good insight into who Tommy is!

Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Read The Push after watching the movie, and was not disappointed. Tommy Caldwell is a thoughtful writer, unafraid to share the struggles he dealt with during this nearly decade-long endeavor. A great insight into his experiences, both on and off the wall.

Insightful & Moving, Climber or Not

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
an amazing telling of one of the most athletic achievements in human history. Great for climbers and non climbers

great book about an amazing feat of human grit

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews