Following almost destroying our planet, our families are friends’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world veered closer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This happened after a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel perspective into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals can be friends or else can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch almost in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants 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 toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

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

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp