Following nearly destroying the planet, our families have become friends’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging humanity into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What were Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch almost in real time while it edged towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn