‘After almost annihilating the planet, the relatives are friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened after a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was nearly 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe almost in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp