Following almost annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile installations were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or else can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn