Following almost destroying our planet, our families are allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer to annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging civilization toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to question: "How can people detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp