Following almost destroying our world, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting humanity into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people can be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards armageddon. However, the danger of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend