Following nearly annihilating our world, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What were the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals detest each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone 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) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn