Following nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance plane identified that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people hate each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend