Following almost annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest each other and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people can be allies or else can become total enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch almost as it happened as it edged towards catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We 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. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp