Following nearly destroying our planet, our families are allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered nearer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel perspective to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What were Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can people hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp