‘After nearly destroying the planet, our families have become friends’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the United States planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp