Following almost destroying our planet, the families are allies’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired after an American surveillance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks of unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging civilization toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new element into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals detest one another and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people can be allies or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time as it moved towards disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp