‘After almost annihilating the planet, the relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This happened after a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost 14 days of impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging mankind into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn