Following nearly destroying the planet, our families have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic missile sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging mankind toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What was the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another and go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that people can be friends or can become complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe almost in real time as it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend