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

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was nearly a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting humanity toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks 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 unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think 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 are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend