Books of 2011: 13. Phule's Company, by Robert Asprin
This is a re-read for me, something to take down off my shelf because I had returned all my library books and not taken out more. Phule's Company is one of those typically fluffy sci-fi books, the sort you can finish in two or three sittings without using too much brainpower.
The story revolves around Captain Jester, aka Willard Phule, a man so rich he can buy multiplanetary companies at the drop of a hat. In a stereotypical underdog story, he's placed in command of "Omega Company" of the Space Legion, the lowest of the low, little better than a bunch of thugs and layabouts. Through pep talks, perseverance, and a metric ton of money (perhaps more), Phule turns the group around so that they can take on the very best of the regular Army and beat them (well, tie them) in a series of competitions. Phule's tactics are unconventional to say the least, but he gains the fanatical devotion of his troops and by the end of the book has them ready to take on more interesting challenges than "guard the swamp miners."
This is a fast, fun read, though hardly on my list of all-time favorites. It's a nice way to pass an afternoon, though I doubt I'll read it again for another 3-4 years.