Writer Candice Millard chronicles the arduous journey of two 19th century explorers through East Africa, where they battled heat, insects, and diseases that at times rendered one or the other deaf, blind or paralyzed. After discovering the sprawling lake that feeds the world's longest river, the two fell into a bitter public dispute over their discoveries. Too little credit went to the formerly-enslaved African who guided them and other explorers of the age. Millard's new book is River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile.
David Bianculli reviews The Old Man, a new FX series starring Jeff Bridges.