‘After almost annihilating our world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired after an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a naval blockade around the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the American side thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals hate one another and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

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

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

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