Following nearly destroying our world, our families have become friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired after a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can people hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that people can be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it edged 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 were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp