Following almost destroying our world, the families are friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet veered closer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting humanity into total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do people detest one another to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or else can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend