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

In October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward ruin more so than ever during recent history. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity toward total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new element into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp