‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet veered closer to annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This happened when an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile installations were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the United States planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What is striking regarding this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time as it edged towards disaster. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn