Following almost destroying our world, our families have become friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being built on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days filled with extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What were Washington considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend