Following almost destroying our world, our families are friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do nations hate each other and confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it crept towards disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn