Following almost destroying our world, the relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity edged closer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, plunging mankind toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, over 13 days, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp