Following almost destroying our world, the families are friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet came nearer toward ruin than at any other point in modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend