Following almost destroying the world, the families are friends’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "How can people detest each other and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable about this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of 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 midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend