‘After nearly destroying the world, our families have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, over 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals can be allies or can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe almost as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn