John Long is an acclaimed rock climber and author of more than forty books, including several in Falcon's catalog. He is one of the most prolific adventure writers out there and has authored magazine articles, screenplays, documentary films, and television and movie scripts, as well as instructional rock climbing books.

Beginning in the mid-1970s with his historic one-day ascent of the Nose route on El Capitan, Long became a mainstay in the world of extreme sports and adventure. He and his elite group of climbers, the "Stonemasters", ushered in a new era of big wall climbing with their epic climbs in Yosemite National Park and elsewhere. In the years that followed, John Long transitioned from rock climbing to international exploration, traveling around the world from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the North Pole. Some of his many achievements include the first coast-to-coast traverse of Borneo and the discovery and exploration of the world's largest river cave.

John Long has also built a successful television and film career, producing the International Guinness Book of World Records television show before moving to feature films. The Sylvester Stallone movie, Cliffhanger, is based on one of Long's stories.