Following almost destroying the planet, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity veered closer to destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels and sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp