‘After almost annihilating the world, the families have become friends’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet veered closer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This happened after a US reconnaissance plane found that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was almost two weeks of extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do people hate one another and go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would 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 optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn