‘After nearly destroying the planet, the families are friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired when an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, over 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the United States planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp