Following almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days of extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging civilization toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals hate each other and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that individuals can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch almost in real time as it moved towards armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels and sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend