Following nearly annihilating our world, the families are allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world came closer to destruction more so than ever during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly 14 days of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging civilization toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What were the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to learn