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

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've destroyed our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact 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 optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to learn