Following almost destroying our planet, our families have become allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

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

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people can be friends or can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp