Following nearly destroying our world, the families are allies’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon bases were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly a fortnight of extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp