Following almost annihilating our planet, our relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened when an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction involving global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people detest each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn