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

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost two weeks of extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened as it edged towards catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn