David McCullough should be really pleased by the popularity his book gained following the launch of the “John Adams” HBO series.

The historian wanted to bring to the American’s nation attention a neglected founding father, who, although not as famous as his predecessor George Washington, or his successor Thomas Jefferson, has more merits than most people know of.

HBO’s miniseries “John Adams,” which is based on the Pulitzer-winning biography written by McCullough and it consists of seven episodes, portrays the people and the society of Adams’ times in a very realistic way, of which McCullough is pleased.

Readers of the book probably were pleasantly surprised to see the miniseries was totally faithful to McCullough’s biography, as well as to the colonial period. Filmed in Virginia and Budapest, the production design is very authentic, perfectly describing New England.

The Founding Fathers, of which most Americans have stereotypical images, are presented in a more humanely manner, as ordinary people who have flaws and make mistakes, but are surely driven by an extraordinary ambition.

For example, an important part of the series, which also shapes Adams’ personality, is the relationship with his wife, about which McCullough documented by reading hundreds of letters they had written to each other.

The miniseries was called a hit, after its three-hour debut was seen in 2.7 million households last Sunday, according to the Nielsen Co. It was the best series debut for HBO, since 2004.

But McCullough is not the only one to benefit from the popularity of the series. Taking advantage of the opportunity to develop the city’s tourism, city leaders of Quincy, location of the Adams National Historic Park, are preparing to receive a wave of new visitors drawn to the city after viewing the film series.

Quincy’s officials are already raising money to expand the park’s services and offer visitors organized tours which would promote the city’s historic houses and other historic sites, such as the Hancock Cemetery, Adams Academy or the house that Josiah Quincy built in 1770 at 20 Muirhead St. in Wollaston.

Following the book’s success, the annual number of visitors at the Adams National Historic Park grew from 80,000 to 250,000. But, as many more people will watch the series than read the book, Quincy’s tourism agency, “Discover Quincy,” predicts that the number of visitors will double or even triple in the near future. McCullough himself warned the city to expect a summer loaded with tourists.

“You'd better be ready for what's coming,” he told Quincy Mayor Tom Koch at a premier event this month, according to the Boston Globe.