‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This happened after an American surveillance plane discovered that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, casting humanity into total ruination.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is notable about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world could watch almost as it happened as it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend