Following nearly destroying our planet, our families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed was almost two weeks of extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging humanity toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures who, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

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

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father 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 tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp