Following almost annihilating our world, the families are allies’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer to annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a naval blockade around the island. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting civilization into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new perspective to the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest one another and go against each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn