‘After almost annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging humanity toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable regarding this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend