Following nearly annihilating our world, our families are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity veered nearer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging mankind into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, over 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

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

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend