Following nearly destroying our planet, our families are friends’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer to destruction than at any other point during modern times. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy 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 stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, plunging humanity toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the United States planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals detest each other and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend