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

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction more so than ever during recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series of global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting civilization into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world could watch almost in real time while it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn