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

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This happened after a US surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization into total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that people can be allies or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 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," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend