Following nearly destroying the planet, our relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was almost two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend