Following almost destroying the world, the families are friends’: a gripping audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world came nearer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This happened when an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight of impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate one another and confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend