‘After nearly destroying the planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward destruction than at any other point during recent history. This happened after a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting civilization into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel element to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What was the United States planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend