Following nearly annihilating the world, our families are friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred after an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was nearly 14 days filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained clear. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend