‘After nearly destroying our planet, our families are allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity came closer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This transpired after a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic missile installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed was almost a fortnight filled with impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting humanity into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can people hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it edged towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend