Following nearly annihilating the world, the families are allies’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril was obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can people hate one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals can be friends or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards disaster. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've sunk the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend