‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives are allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet came nearer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed was almost two weeks filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" ponders 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: "How can nations detest each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn