The Push cover art

The Push

A Climber's Journey of Endurance, Risk and Going Beyond Limits to Climb the Dawn Wall

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The Push

By: Tommy Caldwell
Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
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About this listen

Penguin Audio presents The Push by Tommy Caldwell, read by Johnathan McClain.

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

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 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

©2018 Tommy Caldwell (P)2018 Penguin Audio
Climbing & Mountaineering Sports Outdoor Inspiring Adventure Extreme Sports

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Pushed

I really enjoyed this book from go to whoa. I’d watched the Netflix show about this climb, and the stories behind it and enjoyed the read all the more for it. I quite often felt like I was on the wall, or on belay while visualising along with the Narrator. I hate heights so I could never do what Tommy, Kevin and the others do. Thanks for a fantastic story and entertainment ;-D

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Amazing and Inspiring

I’m always sceptical of books not read by their author... but Johnathan read the book as if Tommy’s story was his own.

An authenticity and way of capturing the feeling and journey made it a book I couldn’t stop listening too!

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Loved it!

As an amateur climber I loved this book! Found it so inspiring to get out there and climb some more. Really loved the insight into the professional climbing world and the psyche of one of its greats! Really awesome, honest, raw and inspiring

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awesome

awesome book and inspired me to go out more and climb and also to have a different way to look at things

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I didn't want this book to end

I loved this book so much I didn't want it to end, I even went back a few times to prolong the inevitable. It's one of those rare books that I just didn't want to stop listening. It was clear, chronological and very descriptive and easy to understand. He explained terminology of climbing and made the personal honest stories come alive. He made the climbing of the dawn wall come alive, it was as if I was by his side following him up the wall. Very inspiring. I will most definitely listen again and again. When it finished I went and bought the 'Dawn Wall' movie so I can watch it again. Really really good.

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Fantastic vulnerable account

A beautifully written book my such an amazing climber. Well told and engaging with complete vulnerability.

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Awesome book

Gripping story about Tommys inspiring life! Great listen, smashed through the whole thing in a number of days. Keen to get out and climb some more now!

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Awesome!!!

The best biography I've ever read. How the hell did a kid who had to have special reading classes in school become such a phenomenal writer?!?

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A great book written by an amazing character

The book expands so much more on his personal life and his climbing which was great to learn about than the movie, The Dawn Wall.
But I think but go hand in hand as to his goals.

The narrator was a bit monotone for most of it, would have been nice if his voice showed some emotion.

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Great but

There was no completion for me as it didnt topped out. a little frustrating way to finish. But incredible book.

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