Following nearly destroying our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people hate each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world could watch nearly in real time while it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn