Following almost annihilating our planet, the families have become friends’: the gripping audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever in recent history. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade around the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, casting humanity into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What was the American side planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate each other and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that individuals can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved closer to disaster. However, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp