Following nearly destroying the world, the relatives are friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost two weeks of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was palpable. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, casting mankind into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest one another and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved towards armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max 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 tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend