‘After nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer to annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.

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

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp