Following nearly destroying our planet, our families are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved towards disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR 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 hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 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 were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn