Following nearly destroying the planet, our families are allies’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world came closer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft identified that Russian atomic missile sites were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging mankind toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new element into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time as it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend