Following nearly annihilating our planet, our families have become allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp