From the introduction, or exposition, and straightforward title the reader knows that How to Tell a True War Story, will consist of a directive on how to actually tell a true war story and what the definition of one is.

The first paragraph begins by telling the reader not what a true war story is but rather what it is not. It is not a generalization. The reader is forewarned that they will be reading a specific story about war. The story will support the common, well-known, generalization that "war is hell," but it will go much deeper. The author uses the common "war is hell" statement as a way to relate to readers, as many have surely heard of the saying. The author is telling the reader that they must know much more in order to hear a true war story.

The story, like...