The use of chariots in the ancient world is recorded in epics and chronicles, as well as in art, but through myths and historical inaccuracies some misconceptions about their use have crept in. This book tells the story of the rise and fall of the chariot in the Old World through sources such as Homer's Iliad, Chinese chronicles and Roman histories. The chariot had a dramatic and far-reaching impact on warfare and Arthur Cotterell draws on events like the Battles of Kadesh and Megiddo to highlight their use and importance in war. Discussion of the function of chariots, preparation for war and the tactics employed, gives way to an examination of chariots in western Asia and Egypt, Europe, India and China as both a war machine and as a source of status, prestige and display in processions and during chariot races. The rise of the charioteer as the hero and idol of the ancient world, captured by Hollywood, is also considered.