Following almost annihilating the world, the families are friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came closer to ruin than at any other point during modern times. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost two weeks of extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have followed, casting civilization into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

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

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living 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 have the capacity to comprehend