Following nearly annihilating our world, our families are friends’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity came closer to destruction than at any other point during recent history. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting humanity toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s notable about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost in real time as it crept closer to armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers and sunk our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

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

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn