Following nearly annihilating our planet, the families have become friends’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane identified that Russian atomic missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed was nearly 14 days of extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can people detest each other and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

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

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn