Using hydrogen and deuterium targets, Compton scattering by the proton andneutron have been studied at the tagged photon beam of the MAMI (Mainz)accelerator using different experimental setups. The theoretical tools for theanalysis of the experimental data have been investigated, as there are thenonsubtracted dispersion theory and the theory of quasi-free reactions on theproton and neutron bound in the deuteron. Experimental Compton scattering dataare understood in the first and second resonance region with good precision.Precise electromagnetic polarizabilities and spin polarizabilities for theproton and neutron have been determined.