Following almost annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight of extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, for 13 days, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to question: "How can individuals detest each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn