Following nearly destroying our world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance plane identified that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting civilization into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals can be allies or else can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp