Following nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can people detest each other to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp