Following nearly annihilating the world, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can nations hate each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "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, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend