Following almost annihilating our planet, the families have become friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world edged closer toward annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was Washington planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn