‘After nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This transpired after a US reconnaissance plane identified that Russian nuclear missile installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and 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've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend