‘After almost annihilating our planet, the families are allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals detest each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, 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 be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn