Following nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging mankind toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel dimension to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do people hate each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp