Following almost annihilating the planet, our families are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired after an American surveillance plane found that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was nearly 14 days of extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting mankind into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals can be friends or can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved towards disaster. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about it via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp