‘After almost annihilating the planet, our families are allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward ruin than at any other point in modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around the island. The next phase was almost 14 days of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals detest each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards disaster. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp