Following nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to question: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it crept towards disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union 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 optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now 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