Following nearly annihilating our world, our relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer to destruction more so than ever during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic missile bases were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What were the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend