‘After almost annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened after an American surveillance plane identified that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril was obvious. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging humanity into total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

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

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend