Following almost destroying the world, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world came nearer toward ruin than at any other point in recent history. This occurred after an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost two weeks filled with extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting humanity toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest each other and confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living 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