Following nearly annihilating the world, our families are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer to annihilation more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened when an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its attempt to question: "How can people hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world could watch almost in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have destroyed the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, 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 the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 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 connected really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend