Well thought out but slightly less well argued. The author covers many areas so, perhaps, it's difficult to cover some important areas in depth. He provides convincing evidence that the large cities and civilizations of pre-catastrophe Eastern Mediterranean 'countries' used a lot of chariots. I was less convinced as to the ways they were used. Chariots are specialty weapons systems that can only be used under fairly limited situations. They are useless on rough, rocky ground and can be easily defeated by simple technologies such as birms and ditches. They would even have really difficulties traveling over flat farmland cut up by the usual irrigation channels. On the other hand, large numbers of chariots were produced and used. How and Why? The author mentions Kadesh where supposedly huge chariot armies clashed. While this was happening, apparently most of the Hittite infantry stayed behind, perhaps to provide stiff defense for the important citadel of Kadesh. In that the Hittites apparently struggled during the fight, why weren't large numbers of infantry called forward?
So I think we, and the author, must be missing something pretty big. A chariot attack against fixed infantry must have always been a loser. The infantry had bows, too, and, as any shooter will tell you, it is far easier for a man standing on solid ground to hit a moving target than it is for a man in a moving, bumpy, unstable vehicle to hit a standing man. Chariot against chariot fights, however, are duels between equals. Therefore we are missing something.
Prior to the Spanish Conquest, the Mexica of Tenochtitlan waged so-called 'Flowery Wars' against certain enemies like the Tlaxcalteca. The wars were not for conquest but were contests of bravery in which captives--many sliced and wounded--were collected for the important purpose of sacrifice to the Gods. Outright killing of an enemy warrior on the battlefield was undesirable because the Gods required living victims. When the Spanish arrived, with their lethal steel weapons and techniques, the Mexica didn't seem to learn the obvious lesson. They still fought to wound and collect captives. This put the far less numerous Spaniards in a highly positive position. The Spaniards fought to kill, the Mexica didn't. The fight lasted over two years but, if the Mexica changed at all, it was slowly and too little, too late. Warfare, for the Mexica, had become cultural and religious and it was very tough to change.
Is it possible that something like this happened in a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean? Chariots were prestige items and large armies of chariots were REALLY great prestige. This attitude could have spread widely. Is it possible that there was something like a gentleman's convention that chariots would decide the issue--kind of like letting two champions decide the issue of a battle without putting far more warriors at risk?
Following this logic, the ground may have been carefully chosen for a collision of chariots--preferably flat land of suitable size with a minimum of obstacles--maybe some obstacles were actually removed before the fight. Infantry would have been present primarily to make sure that things didn't get totally out of hand. Let the chariots fight it out and let the victorious chariot army decide the issue. Yes, there were losers and there was a price to be had, but basically, for 400 years, there was little change in the basic distribution of power.
But there must have ALWAYS been those--barbarians and non-rule players--who wouldn't respect ancient conventions. Strong infantries were necessary to keep them at arm's length. So what might have changed? Invention of a slashing, stabbing sword? New-fangled armor? Sure. But--remembering the Vikings--what may have really changed was adoption of effective transport, ocean-going vessels, by acquisitive foreigners. After all, Helen's beauty [and the riches of Troy] launched 1,000 ships.
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