Following almost annihilating our planet, the relatives are allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward destruction than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after an American reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around the island. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians thinking? What was the American side thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can individuals hate each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp