‘After almost annihilating the world, our families are allies’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was almost two weeks of impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging civilization into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "How can people hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp