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

During the month of October 1962, the world edged closer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting civilization into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can nations hate each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn