Following almost destroying our planet, our relatives have become allies’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet came nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile installations were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed was almost two weeks of unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade of global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting civilization toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented extensively, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that individuals can be allies or can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp