Following almost annihilating the planet, the families are allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What was Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do people hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp